Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33962647›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2021

Migration-associated malaria from Africa in southern Spain.

Joaquín Pousibet-Puerto, Ana Belén Lozano-Serrano, Manuel Jesús Soriano-Pérez, José Vázquez-Villegas, María José Giménez-López, María Isabel Cabeza-Barrera, José Ángel Cuenca-Gómez, Matilde Palanca-Giménez, María Pilar Luzón-García, Nerea Castillo-Fernández and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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  4. Contribution of Travelers toJMIR public health and surveillance · 2025
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  5. Imported malaria in a non-endemic country: sixteen years of cases in a hospital in the South of Madrid, Spain.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2024
    Article
  6. Epidemiological characteristics and molecular identification ofJournal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology · 2024
    Article
  7. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Joaquín Pousibet-PuertoTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
Ana Belén Lozano-SerranoTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
Manuel Jesús Soriano-PérezTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
José Vázquez-VillegasTropical Medicine Unit. Distrito Poniente, Almería, Spain.
María José Giménez-LópezHematology Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
María Isabel Cabeza-BarreraTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
José Ángel Cuenca-GómezTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
Matilde Palanca-GiménezTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
María Pilar Luzón-GarcíaTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
Nerea Castillo-FernándezTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
María Teresa Cabezas-FernándezTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain.
Joaquín Salas-CoronasTropical Medicine Unit. Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain. joaquin.salas@ephpo.es.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4302-7022
Hospital de Poniente · ES

Funding

RICET Project RD16/0027/0013
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe western area of the province of Almeria, sited in southern Spain, has one of the highest immigrant population rates in Spain, mainly dedicated to agricultural work. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of imported malaria associated with migrants from countries belonging to sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of our study is to describe the epidemiological, clinical and analytical characteristics of malaria patients treated in a specialized tropical unit, paying special attention to the differences between VFR and non-VFR migrants and also to the peculiarities of microscopic malaria cases compared to submicroscopic ones.

methodsRetrospective observational study of migrants over 14 years of age with imported malaria treated from October 2004 to May 2019. Characteristics of VFR and non-VFR migrants were compared. Malaria cases were divided into microscopic malaria (MM) and submicroscopic malaria (SMM). SMM was defined as the presence of a positive malaria PCR test together with a negative direct microscopic examination and a negative rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Microscopic malaria was defined as the presence of a positive RDT and/or a positive smear examination.

resultsThree hundred thirty-six cases of malaria were diagnosed, 329 in sub-Saharan immigrants. Of these, 78.1% were VFR migrants, in whom MM predominated (85.2% of cases). In non-VFR migrants, SMM represented 72.2% of the cases. Overall, 239 (72.6%) patients presented MM and 90 (27.4%) SMM. Fever was the most frequent clinical manifestation (64.4%), mainly in the MM group (MM: 81.1% vs SMM: 20.0%; p < 0.01). The most frequent species was P. falciparum. Patients with SMM presented fewer cytopenias and a greater number of coinfections due to soil-transmitted helminths, filarial and intestinal protozoa compared to patients with MM.

conclusionsImported malaria in our area is closely related to sub-Saharan migration. VFR migrants are the main risk group, highlighting the need for actions aimed at improving disease prevention measures. On the other hand, almost a third of the cases are due to SMM. This fact could justify its systematic screening, at least for those travelers at greater risk.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAfrica South of the SaharaFemaleHumansMalariaMaleRetrospective StudiesSpainTransients and MigrantsTravelYoung AdultCoinfectionsImmigrantsMalariaP. falciparumSemi-immunitySubmicroscopic malariaSub-Saharan AfricaVFR migrants

Identifiers

PMID33962647
PMCPMC8103587
OpenAlexW3158834237

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.