Negative blood smears from asymptomatic donors do not exclude transfusional malaria, as donors from endemic areas may have low-level parasitemia that is difficult to detect by routine microscopy. 10 Indirect methods like detection of antigens of the parasite are more sensitive for screening asymptomatic donors. Although our case was diagnosed in the northwestern region of the country, many people living in this area are originally from endemic parts, and tend to visit these areas during holidays. These include some donors who bring malaria to their place of work. Malaria should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal sepsis, especially when the mother is from, or has a history of travel to, an endemic area.
Blood transfusion is also a risk factor for induced malaria in newborn infants.
It is worth noting that chloroquine-resistant malaria is on the rise in Saudi Arabia, as already documented in the nearby countries of East Africa. The recent report of a chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum malaria case of an adult patients 8 and ours are probably just a fraction of the real prevalence of the disease in this country. In part, this is due to lack of data on the pharmacokinetics and safety of antimalarials used in this age group. Clinical characteristics of neonatal malaria. Gereige RS, Cimono D. Congenitally acquired chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum malaria in infant born in United States.