Severe Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in a tertiary care hospital, Sabah, Malaysia

Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Jul;17(7):1248-55. doi: 10.3201/eid1707.101017.

Abstract

The simian parasite Plasmodium knowlesi causes severe human malaria; the optimal treatment remains unknown. We describe the clinical features, disease spectrum, and response to antimalarial chemotherapy, including artemether-lumefantrine and artesunate, in patients with P. knowlesi malaria diagnosed by PCR during December 2007-November 2009 at a tertiary care hospital in Sabah, Malaysia. Fifty-six patients had PCR-confirmed P. knowlesi monoinfection and clinical records available for review. Twenty-two (39%) had severe malaria; of these, 6 (27%) died. Thirteen (59%) had respiratory distress; 12 (55%), acute renal failure; and 12, shock. None experienced coma. Patients with uncomplicated disease received chloroquine, quinine, or artemether-lumefantrine, and those with severe disease received intravenous quinine or artesunate. Parasite clearance times were 1-2 days shorter with either artemether-lumefantrine or artesunate treatment. P. knowlesi is a major cause of severe and fatal malaria in Sabah. Artemisinin derivatives rapidly clear parasitemia and are efficacious in treating uncomplicated and severe knowlesi malaria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / physiopathology
  • Adult
  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage*
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use
  • Artemether
  • Artemisinins / administration & dosage*
  • Artemisinins / therapeutic use
  • Artesunate
  • Chloroquine / administration & dosage
  • Chloroquine / therapeutic use
  • Ethanolamines / administration & dosage
  • Ethanolamines / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Fluorenes / administration & dosage
  • Fluorenes / therapeutic use
  • Hospitals, Urban
  • Humans
  • Lumefantrine
  • Malaria* / blood
  • Malaria* / diagnosis
  • Malaria* / drug therapy
  • Malaria* / mortality
  • Malaria* / parasitology
  • Malaria* / physiopathology
  • Malaysia / epidemiology
  • Microscopy
  • Middle Aged
  • Parasitemia / blood
  • Patient Selection
  • Plasmodium knowlesi / drug effects
  • Plasmodium knowlesi / physiology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Quinine / administration & dosage
  • Quinine / therapeutic use
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Shock / physiopathology
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Artemisinins
  • Ethanolamines
  • Fluorenes
  • Artesunate
  • Chloroquine
  • Quinine
  • Artemether
  • Lumefantrine