An Imported Case of Falciparum Malaria Infection in Japanese Elderly Primigravida

Mishima Nobuyuki, Kanda Seiji, Tabuchi Koichiro, Lamaningao Pheophet, Amano Hiroyuki, Horikoshi Yorihiko, Nishiyama Toshimasa

doi:10.5361/jkmu.63.1

Malaria is endemic in tropical countries, but it is not in Japan. Approximately less than one hundred imported cases of malaria infection are reported annually in Japan, while no domestic case has been reported for more than 50 years. A few imported cases of malaria in pregnant women have been reported. However, in these cases it is difficult to select the appropriate drugs for pregnant women because of the limited availability of antimalarial drugs in Japan. Medical staffs in Japan are confronted with difficulties in selecting antimalarial drugs for the treatment of pregnant patients. Only three antimalarial drugs are approved under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law of Japan and the law regulates that all of them are contraindicated for pregnant women. In the case discussed in this article, a 40-year-old primigravida is in her second trimester of gestation. She lived in Malawi and Gabon for several years, had been clinically diagnosed with malaria several times, and had taken antimalarial drugs. Therefore, it can be presumed that this patient could be semi-immune to malaria. Mefloquine was administered for treatment and the patient was cured. No serious side effects seemed to occur to the mother or the fetus during the treatment period. Finally, she delivered a baby boy by natural childbirth at 39 weeks of gestation, and his Apgar score was 9. Both of them were fine up to April 2010.<br> We experienced a case successfully treated with mefloquine hydrochloride against falciparum malaria of Japanese elderly primigravida.<br>

An Imported Case of Falciparum Malaria Infection in Japanese Elderly Primigravida

Bibliographic Information

Search this article

Description

Journal

References(7)*help

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Export

Report a problem