Symptoms, namely fever before admission, varied from one day to three weeks, the median (IQR) duration being more than seven days in 44% of the patients. SAPS II was registered in 56 patients and the median value (IQR) was 33 . Malaria diagnosis was established by positive smears for asexual P. falciparum forms. In 48 (81.3%) patients, parasitaemia quantification was ≥ 2% and varied from 2-90%, with a median (IQR) of 15 . Parasitaemia was considered high but was not quantified in 13 (22%) patients. The immunochromatographic assay in whole blood for the qualitative detection of Plasmodium antigens, used at emergency department, was positive in all the samples tested.