High reinfection rate and treatment failures in children treated with amodiaquine for falciparum malaria in Muheza villages, Northeastern Tanzania

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Aug;75(2):188-93.

Abstract

In May 2003, we studied amodiaquine (AQ) efficacy in children < 5 years of age with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Magoda and Mpapayu (with insecticide treated nets [ITNs]) and Mgome (without ITNs) in Muheza, Tanzania. The trial involved 28 days of follow-up, and data were adjusted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping of msp1 and msp2 genes. Additionally, Pfcrt codon 72-76 polymorphisms were studied by PCR and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP) ELISA. In 54 cases with complete follow-up, a significant difference in late treatment failure (LTF) rates was seen (60.7% in ITN versus 88.5% in non-ITN villages, P = 0.02) before PCR correction. However, after PCR correction, 23 cases (60.5%) were confirmed as reinfections, giving a true LTF rate of 21.4% (6/28) and 34.6% (9/26) in the above settings, respectively. Frequency of Pfcrt CVIET haplotype mutation pretreatment was high (97.0%); the remaining samples were CVMNK. We conclude that AQ alone is no longer effective in the study area.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amodiaquine / administration & dosage
  • Amodiaquine / pharmacology
  • Amodiaquine / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Haplotypes
  • Hematocrit
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / epidemiology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / isolation & purification
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Prevalence
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Recurrence
  • Tanzania / epidemiology
  • Treatment Failure

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Amodiaquine