Research Article

Imported Malaria in Portugal 2000–2009: A Role for Hospital Statistics for Better Estimates and Surveillance

Table 1

Demographic/general characteristics.

NHS hospitalizations (DRG database)Statutory hospitalized notifications

Gender (, %)
 Female587, 29% 376, 78.3%
 Male1416, 71%104, 21.7%
Age (years)
 Mean37.738.5
 Median3838
 Standard deviation17.01915.46
 Minimum; maximum0; 980; 85
Month of hospitalization (, %)
 January202, 10.1%
 February132, 6.6%
 March126, 6.3%
 April 165, 8.2%
 May193, 9.6%
 June207, 10.3%
 July161, 8.0%
 August154, 7.7%
 September156, 7.8%
 October150, 7.5%
 November154, 7.7%
 December 203, 10.1%
Agent of infection (, %)
Plasmodium falciparum 328, 68.3%
Plasmodium vivax 40, 8.3%
Plasmodium ovale 5, 1.04%
Plasmodium malariae 5, 1.04%
Plasmodium sp. not specified103, 21.4%
Origin of infection
 Sub-Saharan Africa352, 73.33%
 Central Continental America1, 0.21%
 Tropical South America6, 1.25%
 South-Eastern Asia18, 3.75%
 South-Central Asia5, 1.04%
 Not specified98, 20.42%
Length of stay (days)
 Mean8.09
 Median6
 Standard deviation10.85
 Minimum; maximum0; 168
Lethality (, %)39, 1.95%16, 3.3%

Total (, %)2003, 100%480, 100%