DOXYCYCLINE FOR MALARIA PROPHYLAXIS IN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS DEPLOYED TO UNITED-NATIONS MISSIONS IN SOMALIA AND CAMBODIA

The operational effectiveness of daily doxycycline alone or combined w ith weekly chloroquine were assessed during deployments of Australian Defence Force personnel to malaria-endemic countries, Doxycycline was given as part of mandated disease prevention measures during United Na tions missions to Somalia (900 men for 4 months) and Cambodia (600 men for 12 months over two annual rotations), In Somalia the soldiers wer e in an area of low endemicity and experienced only three malaria case s (one Plasmodium falciparum, two P. vivax), all occurring after retur ning to Australia. In Cambodia the level of malaria exposure varied gr eatly, resulting in eight malaria cases during the entire 2-year missi on (two P. falciparum, six P. vivax), Doxycycline was generally well t olerated, with 1.7% (Somalia) and 0.6% (Cambodia) of the men requiring a change of medication to mefloquine due to adverse effects. Doxycycl ine is an effective chemoprophylactic agent during operational deploym ents when soldiers truly take it every day.