HIV, malaria and pneumonia in a Torres Strait Islander male--a case report

Abstract

This report presents the case of a middle-aged Torres Strait Islander male with HIV who contracted Plasmodium vivax malaria in Papua New Guinea. His presentation included clinical and radiological features of pneumonia and he required inpatient treatment for 13 days. This study reviews the literature concerning co-infection with HIV and malaria, which is an uncommon combination in Australia, discusses the public health risks posed by patients with malaria in the Torres Strait, given the presence of a known vector, and suggests strategies to reduce the disease burden posed by malaria in this patient and other Torres Strait Islanders travelling to Papua New Guinea under the terms of the Torres Strait Treaty.