Plasmodium malariae infection in spite of previous anti-malarial medication.
Plasmodium malariae is regarded as usually being susceptible to all anti-malarials whether applied for prophylaxis or treatment. We report on three cases of P. malariae infection which occurred 12-14 weeks after anti-malarial chemoprophylaxis or treatment with mefloquine or atovaquone/proguanil. The most likely explanation for the failure of mefloquine and atovaquone/proguanil to prevent quartan malaria occurring some months later is the insufficient effect on the particularly long-lasting pre-erythrocytic development stages of P. malariae.
Tropenmedizinische Ambulanz, Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Infektiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. Mueller-Stoever@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
Irmela
I
Müller-Stöver
Jaco J
JJ
Verweij
Barbara
B
Hoppenheit
Klaus
K
Göbels
Dieter
D
Häussinger
Joachim
J
Richter
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005858:Germany; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010965:Plasmodium malariae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014195:Travel
D000962:Antimalarials; D016054:DNA, Protozoan