Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Date Submitted: Aug 23, 2023
Date Accepted: Jun 17, 2024
Profile and Determinants for Complications of Imported Malaria in five Provinces in China from 2014 to 2021: A Retrospective Analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
In 2021, the World Health Organization officially declared the People's Republic of China as malar-ia-free. However, the continued occurrence of severe and fatal cases of imported malaria in China, due to globalization and increased international communication, remains a significant public health concern.
Objective:
To describe the epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria and explore the associated com-plications and their relevant factors in the typical areas of China from 2014 to 2021, to optimize the effective prevention and control measures to consolidate the malaria elimination efforts in China.
Methods:
The study retrospectively analyzed imported malaria cases in the representative provinces of China from 2014 to 2021, based on the epidemiological situation and potential risk of reintroduction from imported cases.
Results:
A total of 5,559 malaria cases were reported during the study period. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the relevant factors of malaria complications revealed potential protective factors including the previous episode by Plasmodium (OR=0.512, 95%CI: 0.422-0.621) and risk factors including the age in years (OR=1.014, 95%CI: 1.004-1.024), misdiagnosis at the first clinical visit (OR=3.553, 95%CI: 2.886-4.375), and time interval from the onset to treatment (OR=1.026, 95%CI:1.011-1.042).
Conclusions:
Firstly, the increasing proportion of P. ovale in recent years shouldn’t be ignored. Secondly, it is nec-essary to provide health education for high-risk groups. Third, there is a need to improve diagnostic awareness and the capacity of medical institutions.
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