title: Efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Honduras.
abstract: Chloroquine (CQ) is officially used for the primary treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Honduras. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of CQ for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in the municipality of Puerto Lempira, Gracias a Dios, Honduras was evaluated using the Pan American Health Organization-World Health Organization protocol with a follow-up of 28 days. Sixty-eight patients from 6 months to 60 years of age microscopically diagnosed with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were included in the final analysis. All patients who were treated with CQ (25 mg/kg over 3 days) cleared parasitemia by day 3 and acquired no new P. falciparum infection within 28 days of follow-up. All the parasite samples sequenced for CQ resistance mutations (pfcrt) showed only the CQ-sensitive genotype (CVMNK). This finding shows that CQ remains highly efficacious for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Gracias a Dios, Honduras.
authors: National Malaria Laboratory, National Department of Surveillance, Ministry of Health, Honduras. rosaelenamejiatorres@yahoo.com
authors: Rosa Elena
authors: RE
authors: Mejia Torres
authors: Engels Ilich
authors: EI
authors: Banegas
authors: Meisy
authors: M
authors: Mendoza
authors: Cesar
authors: C
authors: Diaz
authors: Sandra Tamara Mancero
authors: ST
authors: Bucheli
authors: Gustavo A
authors: GA
authors: Fontecha
authors: Md Tauqeer
authors: MT
authors: Alam
authors: Ira
authors: I
authors: Goldman
authors: Venkatachalam
authors: V
authors: Udhayakumar
authors: Jose Orlinder Nicolas
authors: JO
authors: Zambrano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006721:Honduras; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C416369:PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D002738:Chloroquine