Malaria in Aberdeen: An Audit of 110 Patients Admitted between 1980–1991

All 110 patients seen in North East Scotland after contracting malaria from foreign travel were treated in the Regional Infection Unit in Aberdeen. Those patients managed there from January 1980 to March 1991 are described. There were 54 episodes of Plasmodium falciparum malaria (49%) and 26 episodes (23%) of Plasmodium vivax malaria. The remainder had either mixed infection or were diagnosed as malaria on high clinical probability. The majority of the patients were male (80%) and under 40 years of age (84%). Most patients were either Caucasians born in the UK (69%) or native Africans (23%) who were students recently arrived for further education or who had returned from visiting their country of origin for summer holidays. The British residents acquired infection either while on oil related business in West or Central Africa (46%) or after travelling on holiday (30%). The peak incidence of presentation was August and September. 93.5% of patients with falciparum malaria had returned or originated from Africa. 42% with vivax malaria had visited Africa and 27% Papua New Guinea. 70% had been prescribed antimalarial prophylaxis but less than half of these took their medication correctly. The majority of patients with falciparum malaria presented within two weeks of arrival in Britain while patients with vivax malaria presented at varying (but generally longer) intervals, 42% being diagnosed more than three months after exposure.

Falciparum infection was more severe although there have been no deaths in the unit from malaria. Our experience seemed of interest and worth reporting because of the number of patients whose infection reflected travel related to the offshore oil industry, which is centred in Aberdeen.