A field test for the estimation of chloroquine in urine

Abstract

The use of antimalarial drugs is indissolubly linked with the use of insecticides in malaria eradication campaigns and is, indeed, of quite particular importance in areas in which insecticides have for various reasons-such as acquired resistance by anophelines-proved to be of limited value or in which residual spraying has ceased and potential foci of infection must be suppressed.With the increasing use of chloroquine for mass prophylaxis it has become desirable to develop a reasonably simple technique for ensuring that the drug distributed is in fact taken regularly. The author describes a modification of a method first developed by him in 1950, which, although simpler than the original method, nevertheless permits the estimation of chloroquine in urine in amounts of 0.25-0.95 mg per 100 ml of urine. The equipment required, including a colorimeter needing no electrical current, is suitable for use in relatively primitive working conditions, and the test is designed for field application.