Resumo

PEREIRA, Sofía; BERRY, Megan; CAMERA, Marcela La  e  BORGIA, Ignacio. Imported malaria in low-incidence countries: suspect and treat. Rev. Urug. Med. Int. [online]. 2026, vol.11, e405.  Epub 01-Dez-2026. ISSN 2393-6797.  https://doi.org/10.26445/11.01.8.

Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium which has a low incidence in countries of the Southern Cone countries of the American continent. When faced with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, vomiting and headaches, a diagnosis of malaria should be suspected in travellers, returning military troops and immigrants from endemic regions. We present a case of Plasmodium vivax malaria in a young man who returned to Uruguay after traveling in Southeast Asia. His illness, marked by multiple recurrent episodes, was interpreted as a typical presentation of malaria disease caused by P. vivax, due to its latent hepatic forms. This case posed a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge given the initial nonspecific clinical presentation and timely access to first line treatment. It highlights the importance of an adequate epidemiological anamnesis and the role of the clinical laboratory team in confirming the diagnosis, especially in low incidence countries.

Palavras-chave : Malaria; Plasmodium vivax; Travel medicine.

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