Pseudo-borreliosis in patients with malaria

Malaria and relapsing fever are arthropod-borne infections characterized by fever, myalgia, headache, and a tendency to relapse. Both are diagnosed through examination of stained blood films, and both might respond to tetracycline therapy. In at least four published case reports, the presence of malarial microgametes possibly resulted in misdiagnosis of borreliosis in patients with malaria. An additional case is presented, and the mechanism of microgamete production in clinical specimens is discussed.