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Malaria is a potentially fatal disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. It is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in endemic countries of the tropical and subtropical world, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. It is estimated that 247 million malaria cases and 619,000 deaths occurred in 2021 alone. The World Health Organization's (WHO) global initiative aims to reduce the burden of disease but has been massively challenged by the emergence of parasitic strains resistant to traditional and emerging antimalarial therapy. Therefore, development of new antimalarial drugs with novel mechanisms of action that overcome resistance in a safe and efficacious manner is urgently needed. Based on the evolving understanding of the physiology of Plasmodium, identification of potential targets for drug intervention has been made in recent years, resulting in more than 10 unique potential anti-malaria drugs added to the pipeline for clinical development. This review article will focus on current therapies as well as novel targets and therapeutics against malaria.
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Despite the widespread use of herbal preparations and ongoing studies on their therapeutic potential, there are no safety standards on their usage. We report a case of a 36-year-old male patient who presented with severe muscle weakness and generalized fatigue. He had no significant medical history. Initial laboratory investigations revealed hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypophosphatemia. His condition suddenly deteriorated, and he went into cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated in accordance with advanced life support guidelines. On recovery, he had left-sided weakness and dysarthria. He underwent head computed tomography, which revealed an acute infarct in the right middle cerebral artery territory. We determined that he had developed electrolyte deficiency as a result of a recent intake of a mixture of herbs consisting of khella, barley, and frankincense for kidney stones.
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BACKGROUND: Food allergy is a growing global health concern, with limited studies conducted in developing countries. High-risk behavior regarding allergies is common among young adults, making them prone to severe allergic reactions. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of food allergies among Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) students and to determine the rate of high-risk behaviors in this group. METHODS: An online survey was conducted among IAU students enrolled between the academic years of 2008 and 2018. The survey addressed food allergies with respect to age of onset, allergy testing, self-injectable epinephrine (SIE) prescription, associated allergic conditions, and attitude and behavior of university students regarding food avoidance and epinephrine use. RESULTS: In total, 5497 completed surveys were analyzed; 526 participants were clinically diagnosed with allergies to at least one food item. A SIE device was prescribed for only 129 (24.5%) of the diagnosed individuals, of which only 4.7% carried the device at all times. Thirty-nine individuals (30.2%) reported that they and their family members know the proper epinephrine device technique. Strict avoidance of food allergens was reported by 30.2% of the individuals. Associated allergic conditions were observed in 69.3% of the clinically diagnosed individuals. CONCLUSION: Food allergies are prevalent among IAU students, with under-prescription of SIE devices. A high rate of high-risk behaviors with respect to food avoidance and carrying SIE was noted. Interventional strategies are needed to mitigate the risk of severe reactions among these university students.
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Erythema nodosum is a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction with an unknown trigger in the majority of cases. It is characterized by the development of erythematous tender nodules on the shins. Septal panniculitis without vasculitis is a characteristic histopathological finding. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman who presented with a four-day history of an erythematous swollen left lower limb. She was treated with intravenous clindamycin for suspected cellulitis. However, her symptoms persisted. Punch biopsy revealed findings consistent with erythema nodosum. Two days later, she developed colicky abdominal pain associated with non-bloody diarrhea. Stool culture yielded Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis. Two days after discharge, she presented again with a right breast abscess for which she underwent incision and drainage along with antibiotic therapy. After discharge, she was symptom-free with complete resolution of the cutaneous lesions. The presented case is unique as it had multiple clinical manifestations of Salmonella infection including erythema nodosum, diarrhea, and presumably a breast abscess. It should be kept in mind that gastrointestinal symptoms are not necessarily the initial presentations of Salmonella infection.