Plasmodium Vivax as a Causative Agent for Cerebral Malaria in a Group of Adults at Mizan Tepi Teaching Hospital: Case Series

Yosef Habtemariam,1 Molla Asnake,2 Misikr Alemu,3 Erkyehun Pawlos Shash,3 Tsegaw Worku Tessema,2 Zerubabel Girma Tesso,1 Michael Hawlet4 1School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan Aman, Ethiopia; 2School of Medicine, Adult ICU Unit, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan Aman, Ethiopia; 3School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan Aman, Ethiopia; 4Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wolkite University, Wolkite, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Molla Asnake, School of Medicine, Adult ICU Unit, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan Aman, Ethiopia, Email [email protected]: In 2022, there were 249 million cases of malaria globally, resulting in 608,000 deaths. The majority of cases and deaths occurred in the WHO (World Health Organization) African Region. A study in our region found that, out of 263,476 individuals, 148,734 had P. falciparum, 106,946 had P. vivax, and 7,796 had mixed infections. The prevalence of P. falciparum (Plasmodium falciparum) was 8.97% and P. vivax (Plasmodium Vivax) was 7.94%. Although there have been a few reported cases of cerebral malaria caused by P. vivax, there is currently no comprehensive analysis of such cases. All the cases that have been reported so far involved individuals living in malaria-endemic areas, who presented with symptoms characteristic of cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria was diagnosed based on the clinical algorithm which WHO used except we used P. vivax instead of P. falciparum The diagnosis of these cases was confirmed through thin blood film examination and Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs). Therefore, this report aims to provide additional data on the occurrence of P. vivax as a cause of cerebral malaria. It also recommends further studies to reassess the current clinical case definition of cerebral malaria mainly in endemic areas as it affects patient treatment outcome.Keywords: cerebral malaria, P. Vivax and Blood Fil