[In vivo sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to amodiaquine in the town of Edea (Cameroon)]

Abstract

In the town of Edea, where falciparum malaria is hyperendemic, an in vivo study of amodiaquine sensitivity of the local strain of the parasite is performed in school children 6 to 12 years of age: 184 children with parasites in their blood and no chloroquine in their urine are given amodiaquine orally. In 96 children having taken 35 mg per kg body weight of amodiaquine base, none is any longer harboring parasites in his blood as soon as the second day following the end of the 3 days treatment (15 mg/kg body weight the first day, 12 mg/kg the second day and 8 mg/kg the third day). The 73 children having taken 27 mg/kg body weight of amodiaquine base are cleared of their parasites at the rate of 93% on the seventh day of the experiment. The 15 children having only taken 15 mg/kg body weight of amodiaquine base are cleared of their parasites at the rate of 54%. At the utilized doses, amodiaquine is generally well tolerated. Conjunctival hyperhaemia has only been observed as a secondary effect in 9 children among the 184 children treated but this side symptom disappeared soon after the end of the treatment. Aminotransferases blood levels are not modified in the course of the amodiaquine treatment.