Efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Honduras

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 May;88(5):850-4. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0671. Epub 2013 Mar 4.

Abstract

Chloroquine (CQ) is officially used for the primary treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Honduras. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of CQ for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in the municipality of Puerto Lempira, Gracias a Dios, Honduras was evaluated using the Pan American Health Organization-World Health Organization protocol with a follow-up of 28 days. Sixty-eight patients from 6 months to 60 years of age microscopically diagnosed with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were included in the final analysis. All patients who were treated with CQ (25 mg/kg over 3 days) cleared parasitemia by day 3 and acquired no new P. falciparum infection within 28 days of follow-up. All the parasite samples sequenced for CQ resistance mutations (pfcrt) showed only the CQ-sensitive genotype (CVMNK). This finding shows that CQ remains highly efficacious for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Gracias a Dios, Honduras.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chloroquine / administration & dosage
  • Chloroquine / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Honduras
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / parasitology
  • Male
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Chloroquine