An in vivo test to assess mefloquine 25 mg/kg for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Rondônia, Brazil.
Drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is undermining malaria control efforts worldwide. In Brazil, mefloquine (MQ) at a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight is used to treat P. falciparum. At this dose, MQ resistance developed rapidly in Thailand. Use of a higher MQ dose may retard the development of resistance. We treated 50 patients aged one to 67 years who had acute, uncomplicated P falciparum malaria using MQ 25 mg/kg. There were no serious adverse events. Two patients complained of dizziness and insomnia. Assessing evaluable patients, the day 42 cure rate was 40/42 [95.2% (95% confidence interval 83.8 to 99.4%)]. Mefloquine was efficacious and well tolerated in this small cohort from the state of Rôndonia.
Basano
S A
SA
Advanced Research Unit of the University of São Paulo in Rondônia, Rondônia, Brazil.
Bianco
A
A
Taylor
W R J
WR
Olliaro
P
P
Camargo
L M A
LM
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D015767:Mefloquine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged
D000962:Antimalarials; D015767:Mefloquine