Malaria in pregnancy: efficacy of a low dose of mefloquine in an area holoendemic for multi-drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum.
Thirty-three pregnant women with pure P. falciparum parasitaemias (> or = 10(3) parasites/microliters blood), were each treated with a single, oral dose (12.5 mg/kg body weight) of mefloquine base (MQ), at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria urban area, Nigeria. All 33 women were aparasitaemic by day 6 post-treatment and none became parasitaemic during the remaining 21 days of observation. Minimal side-effects were reported by the patients. The mean (S.D.) fever- and parasite-clearance times were 48 (17) and 50 (26) h, respectively. In standard microtests in vitro, schizont maturation was inhibited with MQ at 16 pmol/well (3.2 pmol/microliters). These findings indicate that, at least in the study area, semi-immune, pregnant women have high tolerability to relatively low doses of MQ and that such doses are fully effective against the local P. falciparum isolates.
Okeyeh
J N
JN
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
Lege-Oguntoye
L
L
Emembolu
J O
JO
Agbo
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015767:Mefloquine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009549:Nigeria; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000962:Antimalarials; D015767:Mefloquine