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. 2015 Jan 28:14:39.
doi: 10.1186/s12936-015-0563-0.

Efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax in the Saharan zone in Mauritania

Mohamed Salem Ould Ahmedou Salem  1 , Yeslim Ould Mohamed Lemine, Jemila Mint Deida, Mohamed Aly Ould Lemrabott, Mohamed Ouldabdallahi, Mamadou Dit Dialaw Ba, Ali Ould Mohamed Salem Boukhary, Mohamed Lemine Ould Khairy, Mohamed Boubacar Abdel Aziz, Pascal Ringwald, Leonardo K Basco, Saidou Doro Niang, Sidi Mohamed Lebatt
Affiliations

Efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax in the Saharan zone in Mauritania

Mohamed Salem Ould Ahmedou Salem et al. Malar J. .

Abstract

Background: In 2006, the Mauritanian Ministry of Health adopted a new therapeutic strategy based on the systematic use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), artesunate-amodiaquine and artemether-lumefantrine, for the first- and second-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria, respectively, regardless of Plasmodium spp. In the Saharan zone of the country, recent studies have shown that Plasmodium vivax largely predominates over Plasmodium falciparum. Anti-malarial drug response of P. vivax has not been evaluated in Mauritania. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerance of chloroquine to treat P. vivax malaria in Mauritanian patients.

Methods: Plasmodium vivax-infected patients aged > 6 months old were enrolled in Nouakchott and Atar in September-October 2013. Chloroquine was administered at the standard dose of 25 mg base/kg body weight over three days. Patients were followed until day 28, according to the standard 2009 World Health Organization protocol.

Results: A total of 128 patients (67 in Nouakchott and 61 in Atar) were enrolled in the study. Seven patients (5.5%) were either excluded or lost to follow-up. Based on the per protocol analysis, chloroquine efficacy (adequate clinical and parasitological response) was 100%. Treatment was well-tolerated. One patient was excluded on day 1 due to urticaria and treated with artesunate-amodiaquine.

Conclusions: Although the current national treatment guideline recommends artesunate-amodiaquine for the first-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria, including P. vivax malaria, chloroquine may still have an important role to play in anti-malarial chemotherapy in Mauritania. Further epidemiological studies are required to map the distribution of P. vivax and P. falciparum in the country.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study sites in Mauritania.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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