Journal Article

Mefloquine Is Highly Efficacious against Chloroquine-Resistant Plasmodium vivax Malaria and Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Papua, Indonesia

Marwoto, Hariyani, Richie, Thomas L., Krisin, Baird, J. Kevin, Maguire, Jason D., Fryauff, David J.

2006

Overview

Background. During the period of 1996–1999, we prospectively monitored 243 Javanese adults and children after arriving in Papua, Indonesia, and microscopically documented each new case of malaria by active surveillance. Methods. In a randomized, open-label, comparative malaria treatment trial, 72 adults and 50 children received chloroquine for each incident case of malaria, and 74 adults and 47 children received mefloquine. Results. Among 975 primary treatment courses, the cumulative 28-day curative efficacies were 26% and 82% for chloroquine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria and Plasmodium vivax malaria, respectively. Mefloquine cure rates were far superior (96% against P. falciparum malaria and 99.6% against P. vivax malaria). Conclusions. Mefloquine is a useful alternative treatment for P. vivax malaria and P. falciparum malaria in areas such as Papua, where chloroquine is still recommended as the first-line therapeutic agent.

• Publisher: The University of Chicago Press,University of Chicago Press,Oxford University Press
• Subject: Adult / Adults / Antimalarials / Antimalarials - therapeutic use / Articles and Commentaries / Child / Children / Children & youth / Chloroquine - adverse effects / Chloroquine - therapeutic use / Dosage / Drug Resistance / Erythrocytes / Falciparum malaria / Human subjects / Humans / Indonesia / Infections / Infectious diseases / Informed consent / Japan - ethnology / Malaria / Malaria, Falciparum - drug therapy / Malaria, Vivax - drug therapy / Medical research / Medical treatment failures / Mefloquine - therapeutic use / Parasitemia / Treatment Outcome / Vector-borne diseases / Vivax malaria