Malaria in the 21st century – still a threatening problem

Abstract

There are six parasite species (P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale curtisi, P. ovale wallikeri, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi) that cause malaria in humans. P. falciparum is responsible for most malaria-related deaths globally. P. vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of the Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2016, 91 countries reported a total of 216 million cases of malaria. The global tally of malaria deaths reached 445,000. In 2016, 24 cases of imported malaria were registered in the Republic of Serbia, with an incidence of 0.33/100,000. According to the World Health Organization recommendations, every suspected malaria case should be confirmed by microscopy or a rapid diagnostic test before treatment. The main stone of antimalarial therapy should be artemisinin-based combinations. Since malaria occurs in Europe as an imported (though rarely also autochthonous and a hospital-borne infection), the objective of this paper is to point out current problems and attitudes in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria, without entering the data field significant for professionals (infectologists, epidemiologists, intensivists).

Keywords: malaria; antimalarials; chemoprophylaxis; laboratory diagnostics