Malaria in an asylum seeker paediatric liver transplant recipient: diagnostic challenges for migrant population

Serena  Vita; Simona Gabrielli; Lucia Fontanelli Sulekova; Maurizio De Angelis; Francesco  Alessandri; Francesco Pugliese; Franco Ruberto; Ornella Spagnolello; Valentina Mazzocato; Luigi Celani; Maurizio Lopalco; Simonetta  Mattiucci; Riccardo Bazzardi; Silvia Angeletti; Massimo Ciccozzi; Gabriella d’Ettorre; Giancarlo Ceccarelli

doi:10.3855/jidc.12541

Malaria in an asylum seeker paediatric liver transplant recipient: diagnostic challenges for migrant population

Authors

Serena Vita Migrant and global Health Research Organization (Mi-HeRO) Rome, Italy
Simona Gabrielli Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Lucia Fontanelli Sulekova Migrant and global Health Research Organization (Mi-HeRO) Rome, Italy
Maurizio De Angelis Department of Clinical Medicine, Clinic of Tropical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Francesco Alessandri Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Francesco Pugliese Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome
Franco Ruberto Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Ornella Spagnolello Emergency NGO, Milan, Italy
Valentina Mazzocato Reception Center for Migrants Mondo Migliore. Rocca di Papa, Italy
Luigi Celani Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Maurizio Lopalco Reception Center for Migrants Mondo Migliore. Rocca di Papa, Italy
Simonetta Mattiucci Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Riccardo Bazzardi Controllo Microbiologico e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna “G. Pegreffi”, Sassari, Italy
Silvia Angeletti Unit of Clinical Laboratory Science, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
Massimo Ciccozzi Unit of Medical Statistics and Molecular Epidemiology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
Gabriella d’Ettorre Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Giancarlo Ceccarelli Migrant and global Health Research Organization (Mi-HeRO) Rome, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.12541

Keywords:

liver transplantation, malaria, recipient, asylum seeker, posttransplant infections

Abstract

Transplanted patients are particularly exposed to a major risk of infectious diseases due to prolonged immunosuppressive treatment. Over the last decade, the growing migration flows and the transplant tourism have led to increasing infections caused by geographically restricted organisms. Malaria is an unusual event in organ transplant recipients than can be acquired primarily or reactivation following immunosuppression, by transfusion of blood products or through the transplanted organ. We report a rare case of Plasmodium falciparum infection in a liver transplanted two years-old African boy who presented to one Italian Asylum Seeker Center on May 2019. We outlined hereby diagnostic challenges, possible aetiologies of post-transplantation malaria and finally we summarized potential drug interactions between immunosuppressive agents and antimalarials. This report aims to increase the attention to newly arrived migrants, carefully evaluating patients coming from tropical areas and taking into consideration also rare tropical infections not endemic in final destination countries.

Author Biography

Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Migrant and global Health Research Organization (Mi-HeRO) Rome, Italy

Researcher for Department of Infectious Diseases and Pubblic Health, University of Rome "Sapienza" (Italy).

II Department of Emergency of Italian Red Cross.

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Published

2021-01-31

How to Cite

Vita S, Gabrielli S, Fontanelli Sulekova L, De Angelis M, Alessandri F, Pugliese F, Ruberto F, Spagnolello O, Mazzocato V, Celani L, Lopalco M, Mattiucci S, Bazzardi R, Angeletti S, Ciccozzi M, d’Ettorre G, Ceccarelli G (2021) Malaria in an asylum seeker paediatric liver transplant recipient: diagnostic challenges for migrant population. J Infect Dev Ctries 15:172–178. doi: 10.3855/jidc.12541

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Issue

Vol. 15 No. 01: January 2021

Section

Case Reports

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