Related Staff
Sarah Auburn | Ric Price | Steven Kho | Jeanne Rini Poespoprodjo
Chronic Malaria Is Associated With Trauma-related Splenic Rupture Requiring Splenectomy
Published: March 17, 2026
Citation
Shanti PAI, Alexander K, Candrawati F, Andries B, Kambuaya NN, Rini H, Amelia AR, Puspitasari AM, Amalia R, Rahmayenti DA, Leonardo L, Prayoga P, Trianty L, Pava Z, Kenangalem E, Auburn S, Price RN, Laksanawati IS, Buffet PA, Noviyanti R, Anstey NM, Poespoprodjo JR, Kho S. Chronic Malaria Is Associated With Trauma-related Splenic Rupture Requiring Splenectomy. J Infect Dis. 2026 Mar 17;233(3):e740-e744. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf629. PMID: 41378825; PMCID: PMC13017132.
Abstract
Splenic rupture is a recognized complication of acute Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria, but the risk of splenic rupture in chronic asymptomatic infections is unknown. In Timika, Papua, Indonesia, we determined the proportion of PCR-detectable asymptomatic peripheral parasitemia in patients undergoing trauma-related splenectomy (2015-21) and found it was more than twice the proportion compared to a 2013 household survey of the general population (87.9% [29/33] vs 38.6% [697/1807]; P < .0001). Our findings suggest asymptomatic parasitemia with either P. falciparum or P. vivax is associated with splenic rupture following trauma, pointing toward an additional consequence of chronic infection in malaria-endemic areas.