Korean J Parasitol.  2013 Apr;51(2):213-218. 10.3347/kjp.2013.51.2.213.

A Case of Plasmodium ovale Malaria Imported from West Africa

• Kang Y
• Yang J

• KMID: 1499701
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2013.51.2.213

Abstract

Malaria is a parasitic infection caused by Plasmodium species. Most of the imported malaria in Korea are due to Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, and Plasmodium ovale infections are very rare. Here, we report a case of a 24-year-old American woman who acquired P. ovale while staying in Ghana, West Africa for 5 months in 2010. The patient was diagnosed with P. ovale malaria based on a Wright-Giemsa stained peripheral blood smear, Plasmodium genus-specific real-time PCR, Plasmodium species-specific nested PCR, and sequencing targeting 18S rRNA gene. The strain identified had a very long incubation period of 19-24 months. Blood donors who have malaria with a very long incubation period could be a potential danger for propagating malaria. Therefore, we should identify imported P. ovale infections not only by morphological findings but also by molecular methods for preventing propagation and appropriate treatment.

Keyword

Plasmodium ovale; imported malaria; real-time PCR; nested PCR; sequencing

MeSH Terms

Blood/parasitology
DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics
Female
Ghana
Humans
Korea
Malaria/*diagnosis/parasitology/*pathology
Microscopy
Plasmodium ovale/*isolation & purification
Polymerase Chain Reaction
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics
Sequence Analysis, DNA
*Travel
Young Adult
DNA, Protozoan
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S