Seroepidemiological Study of Malaria in A Former High Endemic Region of Greece

Dionysia Theocharidou

doi:10.26717/bjstr.2020.25.004211

Abstract

Greece had been a malaria-endemic country from prehistoric times to 1974, with northern Greece (Macedonia and Thrace)...

Highlights

After malaria elimination in Greece, in 1974, a few sporadic indigenous malaria cases have been reported, up until 2009 that the country experienced the threat of disease re-emergence due to sociological and environmental factors
From 1994 to 1995 four presumably autochthonous malaria cases were diagnosed by blood smear microscopy in Evros Province, Νorthern Greece
We evaluated the serological status of 366 blood samples, drawn from 347 healthy individuals, residents of Drama province

Summary

Introduction

After malaria elimination in Greece, in 1974, a few sporadic indigenous malaria cases have been reported, up until 2009 that the country experienced the threat of disease re-emergence due to sociological and environmental factors. Northern Greece, a highly malarious place in the past, reported autochthonous cases attributed to P. vivax, a parasite that can cause asymptomatic infections. A seroepidemiological study conducted in 1997- 1999 at the same place showed that 0,8% of the individuals tested were seropositive Kampen, et al [2]. It was in 2009 that autochthonous cases commenced re-emerging in Greece, leading to the formation of specific malarious hot spots (such as Evrotas region) in the country Danis et al [3]

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion