Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation in Lung Injury Secondary to Malaria

Abstract

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by one or more of several species of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium including P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae [1] and occasionally other Plasmodium species, notably monkey malaria P. knowlesi [2]. The infection is primarily transmitted by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito but may also be transmitted via transfusion of infected blood products and congenitally. Malaria is a global public health problem with the highest burden in tropical and subtropical countries including India. In 2010, an estimated 3.3 billion population were at risk for malaria, with 216 million cases diagnosed and 655,000 deaths. Most deaths occurred in African children [3]. India accounts for 66 % of the 2.4 million confirmed malaria cases in Southeast Asia, with P. falciparum causing 50 % of them. Malaria is imported into temperate zones, with 10,000 cases per year in western Europe and approximately 1,500 cases per year in the United States [4, 5]. Although malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, controlling and eradicating the disease remain elusive goals.