SENSITIVITY OF PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM TO AMODIAQUINE AND CHLOROQUINE IN CENTRAL-AFRICA - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO

A comparative study in vivo of amodiaquine efficacy (35 mg/kg over 3 d ) and chloroquine (25 mg/kg over 3 d) was conducted in 1991 and 1992 i n Cameroon and Congo in 123 patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium fal ciparum malaria. Amodiaquine was more effective than chloroquine, with parasite clearance by day 7 in 79.7% of the patients compared with 59 .4%. Sixteen of 32 (50%) P. falciparum Isolates tested in vitro were r esistant to chloroquine and only 3 of 34 (9%) were resistant to amodia quine. 5.3% of patients treated with amodiaquine complained of pruritu s and 18.7% of nausea, compared with 15.7% and 5% respectively of thos e treated with chloroquine.