Imported Malaria Cases in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Futoshi Higa; Masao Tateyama; Daisuke Tasato; Yosuke Karimata; Hideta Nakamura; Kazuya Miyagi; Shusaku Haranaga; Tetsuo Hirata; Akira Hokama; Haley L. Cash; Hiromu Toma; Jiro Fujita

doi:10.7883/yoken.66.32

Original Article

Imported Malaria Cases in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Futoshi Higa, Masao Tateyama, Daisuke Tasato, Yosuke Karimata, Hideta Nakamura, Kazuya Miyagi, Shusaku Haranaga, Tetsuo Hirata, Akira Hokama, Haley L. Cash, Hiromu Toma, Jiro Fujita

Author information

Futoshi Higa
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Masao Tateyama
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Daisuke Tasato
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Yosuke Karimata
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Hideta Nakamura
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Kazuya Miyagi
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Shusaku Haranaga
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Tetsuo Hirata
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Akira Hokama
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Haley L. Cash
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Hiromu Toma
Department of Parasitology and International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Jiro Fujita
Department of Infectious, Respiratory, and Digestive Medicine, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2013 Volume 66 Issue 1 Pages 32-35

DOI https://doi.org/10.7883/yoken.66.32

Details

Abstract

With the increase in global transportation, imported malaria has become a significant public health concern in Japan. In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed all imported malaria cases in Okinawa Prefecture from 1988 to 2012. In that period, 23 patients with imported malaria were admitted to the University of the Ryukyus Hospital. Malaria types observed included Plasmodium falciparum (14 cases), P. vivax (7 cases), combined P. falciparum and P. ovale (1 case), and combined P. vivax and P. malariae (1 case). All cases were resolved by anti-malarial treatment. The clinical data from these patients highlights the importance of collecting patient travel history and ensuring an adequate supply of both diagnostic test and drug treatments in Okinawa.

Corresponding author

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