Febrile plasmodium falciparum malaria 4 years after exposure in a man with sickle cell disease

Abstract

We report a case of symptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria that manifested 4 years after a visit to an area of endemicity in an 18-year-old male patient with sickle cell disease. The exceptionally long incubation time raises the questions of how and where P. falciparum parasites can reside for several years before suddenly causing disease. © 2008 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.