On chikungunya acute infection and chloroquine treatment.
In recent issues, the efficacy of chloroquine (and the dosage that may be used) in the treatment of acute chikungunya infections was discussed. We have conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial on the French Reunion Island (Indian Ocean), in which 27 patients received chloroquine and 27 patients received a placebo treatment. The chloroquine treatment consisted of 600 mg at day 1, 600 mg at days 2 and 3, and 300 mg at days 4 and 5. No significant difference between groups could be identified regarding the duration of febrile arthralgia or the decrease of viremia between day 1 and day 3. However, at day 200, patients who received chloroquine complained more frequently of arthralgia than those who received placebo (p < 0.01). In conclusion, our results suggest that there is currently no justification for the use of chloroquine to treat acute chikungunya infections.
De Lamballerie
Xavier
X
Unité des Virus Emergents, Université de la Méditerranée & Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Marseille, France. xavier.de-lamballerie@medecine.univ-mrs.fr
Boisson
Véronique
V
Reynier
Jean-Charles
JC
Enault
Sébastien
S
Charrel
Rémi N
RN
Flahault
Antoine
A
Roques
Pierre
P
Le Grand
Roger
R
D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002646:Chikungunya virus; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D017508:Reunion; D013997:Time Factors; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D002738:Chloroquine