[Evaluating of Plasmodium species isolated from peripheral blood samples in a non-endemic region].
OBJECTIVE
Malaria is a parasitic disease, caused by Plasmodium species, which transmitted to humans through genus Anopheles mosquitoes. This disease widely spreaded in tropical and subtropical areas. The aim of our study is to evaluate malaria cases diagnosed by peripheral blood examination.


METHODS
Peripheral blood samples sent to Parasitology Laboratory between 2001 and 2013 years, were examined using thick and thin blood smear techniques.


RESULTS
A total of 102 blood samples obtained from suspected patients were examined and eight of them were found to be positive. All cases were male and Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax was detected in seven (87.5%) and one (12.5%) of them, respectively. Blood samples were mainly sent from Departments of Infectious Diseases. All P. falciparum cases had a history about work or travel to different African countries.


CONCLUSIONS
We think that patients who has fever and travel history to endemic countries especially in Africa, blood examination for malaria parasites should be taken into account in differential diagnosis.
Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıbbi Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dalı, Samsun, Türkiye. murat.gunaydin@istanbul.edu.tr.
Adil
A
Karadağ
Nevzat
N
Ünal
Keramettin
K
Yanık
Recep
R
Borucu
Murat
M
Günaydın
Murat
M
Hökelek
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005334:Fever; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014195:Travel