Outcomes of Imported Malaria During Pregnancy Within Venezuelan States: Implications for Travel Advice

Abstract

Prevention of malaria in pregnant women is an utmost priority because the disease can cause serious maternal and neonatal complications. Maternal complications include marked anemia, increased risk of severe disease, and mortality, while the fetus or neonate is at risk of prematurity, anemia, and low birthweight. Pregnant women living in malaria endemic areas may be semiimmune to a particular Plasmodium spp. but when traveling to other regions, sometimes within their same country, where malaria epidemiology is different, may develop severe malaria complications. Here, we describe our experience in northeastern Venezuela associated with unfavorable outcomes of imported malaria cases among pregnant women who traveled to other Venezuelan regions with different malaria epidemiology. Travel medicine practitioners should be aware and educate their pregnant patients regarding the risk of malaria even when living in malaria endemic areas and traveling to other endemic areas such as occurs in Venezuela.