Malaria in Chile: Timely diagnosis importance of a case

Malaria is a parasitosis produced by a protozoa of the plasmodium gendre , transmited by the anopheles mosquito existing four species capable of infecting humans. The p. Falciparum is the most prevalent causal agent, presenting a high resistance to antimalaric treatment and mayor probability of complications and death than other species. We present a case of a patient provienent from Nigeria that consults with fever , chills , asthenia, adinamia, anorexia, headache, thrombocytopenia, leucopenia that later develops diarrhoea and oliguria. Given the clinical presentation and the history of residence in Nigeria, endemic country of Malaria, pertinent tests were performed confirming the presence of p. Falciporum in the smear (+++). Because of the high risk of complications related to this specie such as renal faliure, severe anemia, severe bleeding, seizures, shock and death the patient was hospitalized in intermediate care unit were he evolves with impairment of the renal function , the hematocrit and the platelet count out of the severity range , with jaundice and hiperparasitemia in severe range. He was treated with mefluoquina , malarone and vital care support quickly achieving clinical and laboratory improvement and lowering the parasite load. Finally he is discharged with a completed treatment and no complications. Chile is a malaria free country but with actual world globalization it is important to consider this desease in the differential diagnosis in any case of unexplained fever in patients that have been in endemic countries determining in an opportune way the diagnosis and giving a rapid treatment in order to prevent the potencially mortal complications.