Abstract
The pattern of infection and in vivo response of uncomplicated
Plasmodium falciparum malaria to Chloroquine as first line
drug and Quinine, Halofantrine or Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine as second
line medications was evaluated at nested sentinel points, including
Government and Private Practices, for three consecutive months. 559
cases were evaluated of which 22.5% failed on Chloroquine therapy. The
age range of P. falciparum malaria cases was 4 months to 48 years, with
a mean and median age of 9.2 and 3 years, respectively. There were
significantly more female patients than male. Also, ages 5 years and
below accounted for 63.2% of cases and as a group had an increased risk
of treatment failure with Chloroquine compared to older patients. In
general, male patients also had a higher relative risk of treatment
failure on Chloroquine. Patients treated in Government practices were
more likely to fail than those treated in Private practices. All cases
of failure to Chloroquine treatment responded to Quinine, Halofantrine
or Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine.