Malaria is a rare but potentially serious complication of blood transfusion.
Despite treatment with oral quinine and clindamycin, the patient developed respiratory and renal failure and died on November 30. The donor reported no fever at the time of blood donation. He was treated with quinine and doxycycline. He was again hospitalized on November 1 with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding and fever, and peripheral blood smears showed P. falciparum infection. Treatment was initiated with oral quinine and doxycycline but changed to intravenous quinidine and doxycycline when his mental status deteriorated the following day.