Sharp increase of imported Plasmodium vivax malaria seen in migrants from Eritrea in Hamburg, Germany.

BACKGROUND: Since 2014, a considerable increase in Plasmodium vivax malaria has been observed in Germany. The majority of cases was seen in Eritrean refugees. METHODS: All patients with P. vivax malaria admitted to the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf Germany from 2011 until August 2015 were retrospectively identified by the hospital coding system and data was matched with records from the laboratory diagnostics unit of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany. RESULTS: Between May 2014 and August 2015, 37 cases were reported in newly-arrived Eritrean refugees at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Relapses occurred due to difficulties in procurement of primaquine. CONCLUSION: Countries hosting Eritrean refugees need to be aware of vivax malaria occurring in this group and the risk of autochthonous cases due to local transmission by indigenous, vector competent Anopheles species.

Disease-associated QT-shortage versus quinine associated QT-prolongation: age dependent ECG-effects in Ghanaian children with severe malaria.

BACKGROUND: While several anti-malarials are known to affect the electric conduction system of the heart, less is known on the direct effects of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Some earlier studies point to a direct impact of Plasmodium falciparum infection on the electric conduction system of the heart. The aim of this study was to analyse infection- and drug-induced effects on the electric conduction system. METHODS: Children aged 12 months to 108 months with severe malaria were included in Kumasi, Ghana. In addition to basic demographic, clinical, biochemical and parasitological, biochemical data were measured data upon hospitalization (day 0) and 12-lead electrocardiograms were recorded before (day 0) and after (day 1) initiation of quinine therapy as well as after 42 (±3) days. RESULTS: A total of 180 children were included. Most children were tachycardic on day 0 but heart rate declined on day 1 and during follow up. The corrected QT intervals were longest on day 1 and shortest on day 0. Comparison of QT intervals with day 42 (healthy status) after stratification for age demonstrated that in the youngest (<24 months) this was mainly due to a QT shortage on day 0 while a QT prolongation on day 1 was most pronounced in the oldest (≥48 months). Nearly one third of the participating children had measurable 4-aminoquinoline levels upon admission, but no direct effect on the corrected QT intervals could be shown. CONCLUSION: Severe P. falciparum infection itself can provoke changes in the electrophysiology of the heart, independent of anti-malarial therapy. Especially in young - thus non immune - children the effect of acute disease associated pre-treatment QT-shortage is more pronounced than quinine associated QT-prolongation after therapy. Nevertheless, neither malaria nor anti-malarial induced effects on the electrophysiology of the heart were associated with clinically relevant arrhythmias in the present study population.

Serological response following re-vaccination with Salmonella typhi Vi-capsular polysaccharide vaccines in healthy adult travellers.

An injectable Vi-capsular polysaccharide vaccine against typhoid fever is available but vaccine-induced immunity tends to wane over time. The phenomenon of immunotolerance or hyporesponsiveness has earlier been described for polysaccharide vaccines such as pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine and some publications also suggest a possible immunotolerance after revaccination with Vi-capsular polysaccharide vaccines. In this study, post-immunisation antibody concentrations in adult travellers first vaccinated with a Salmonella typhi Vi-capsular polysaccharide vaccine (primary vaccination group) were compared with those having received one or more vaccinations previously (multiple vaccinations group). Vaccines administered were Typherix(®) (GlaxoSmithKline), Typhim Vi(®) (Sanofi Pasteur MSD) or Hepatyrix(®) (GlaxoSmithKline). Blood samples were obtained prior to vaccination (day 0) and on day 28 (-1/+14) after vaccination. Serum Vi-Antigen IgG concentrations were measured by ELISA. Of the 85 subjects included in the per protocol data set, 45 (53%) belonged to the multiple vaccinations group. In both groups, geometric mean antibody concentrations (GMCs) were significantly higher after vaccination than before vaccination. Pre-vaccination GMCs were lower in the primary vaccination group than in the multiple vaccinations group (3.40 µg/ml versus 6.13 µg/ml, P=0.005), while there was no significant difference in the post vaccination GMCs between groups (11.34 µg/ml versus 14.58 µg/ml, P=0.4). In the multiple vaccinations group, vaccination was performed 18 to 57 months after the last vaccination (median 38 months) and there was a negative correlation between time since last vaccination and antibody concentration on day 0. In conclusion, we were not able to demonstrate a relevant immunotolerance after multiple versus primary vaccination with S. typhi Vi-capsular polysaccharide vaccines.

A 2013/2014 northern hemisphere season surface antigen inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine--Assessing the immunogenicity and safety in an open label, uncontrolled study.

The present study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the 2013/2014 trivalent surface antigen inactivated subunit seasonal influenza virus vaccine Fluvirin® in healthy adults (18 - ≤ 60 years) and elderly (>60 years). The vaccine contained 15 µg haemagglutinin protein from each of influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like strain, A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like strain and B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like strain (B/Yamagata) as recommended by the WHO in the 2013/2014 Northern Hemisphere season. Antibody response to each influenza antigen after vaccination was measured prior to vaccination and 21 d after by single radial hemolysis (SRH) assay or hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay in accordance with Guidance CPMP/BWP/214/96. 125 subjects (61 adults and 64 elderly) were enrolled in the study. Pre-vaccination protective antibody levels (SRH area ≥ 25 mm(2)) against A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and the B strain were detected in 17%, 20% and 57% of adults and in 36%, 20% and 55% of elderly, respectively, Post-vaccination, SRH area ≥ 25 mm(2) was detectable in 95%, 82% and 92% in adult and in 80%, 84% and 92% of the elderly subjects for A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and the B strain, respectively. Geometric mean ratio (GMR) was higher in adult subjects (2.62-7.62) than in elderly subjects (2.33-3.42). All three CHMP licensure criteria were met for all strains contained in the vaccine for both age groups. The most frequently reported solicited local and systemic reactions were pain at the injection side, headache and fatigue. In conclusion, the vaccine demonstrated a good immunogenicity and an acceptable safety profile in both adults and elderly.

Malaria prevention in the pregnant traveller: a review.

Malaria is still a major threat to health in tropical regions. Particular attention should be directed to malaria prevention in infants and pregnant women as they are at high risk for plasmodial infection and complicated malaria. In this review, we summarize and discuss current evidence on malaria prevention in pregnant travellers. As neither anti-mosquito measures nor anti-malarial drugs have been proven to be unequivocally safe or toxic in pregnant women, the individual risk assessment should take into account the risk of transmission at the destination, the benefit of travelling despite being pregnant as well as the individual risk perception. All three factors may differ in various groups of travellers like tourist travellers, expatriate travellers as well as those visiting friends and relatives. For pregnant women, mefloquine appears to be the drug of choice for prophylaxis and stand by-therapy if no contraindications exist - despite recent renewed warnings related to prolonged side effects. In areas with high resistance against mefloquine or in women with contraindications to mefloquine, atovaquone-proguanil or artemether-lumefantrine should be considered as an option for stand-by emergency therapy. Nevertheless, evidence on the safety of anti-malarials especially during the first trimester is still insufficient.