title: Malaria in paradise: characterization of imported cases in Gran Canaria Island (1993-2006).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spain obtained the official certificate of malaria eradication in 1964. However, imported malaria cases have been increasing during the last few decades in this country. This study aims to describe the clinical and epidemiological features of patients diagnosed with malaria on Gran Canaria Island.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted based on case review of all patients diagnosed with malaria microbiologically confirmed from 1993 to 2006, at the three referral teaching hospitals on Gran Canaria Island.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred eighty-four episodes in 181 patients were diagnosed, 170 of them were analyzed. Most of them (82%) were travelers. Nearly 15% (14.7%) declared having had some chemoprophylaxis, but only half of them completed the treatment. Twenty cases (10.9%) were diagnosed who had just arrived as immigrants, mainly children. Malaria was acquired in Africa by 94.7% of the cases and Plasmodium falciparum was responsible for the majority of the cases (84.1%). Clinical and epidemiological differences were observed among different groups of patients formed by their origin and travel purposes. At least one indicator of severe malaria was established in 22.9% of the cases. However, global mortality was 3.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malaria in Gran Canaria Island is imported from endemic areas, mainly from African countries, observed mostly among young adult males, but clinical and epidemiological features may change among different groups of patients. The number of immigrants diagnosed with malaria is increasing in this area nowadays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. elisabeth.espinosa@mpt.es
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Espinosa-Vega
authors.forename: Antonio Manuel
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Martín-Sánchez
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elcuaz-Romano
authors.forename: Melisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández-Febles
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molina-Cabrillana
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pérez-Arellano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials