ANTIBIOTICS AND MALARIA - REVIEW OF THE L ITERATURE

The spread of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (PF) has made essen tial the research of new effective therapies like antibiotics. Tetracy clines have been used in South-East Asia in combination with quinine a s a curative therapy or alone as a chemoprophylaxis in PF malaria; its tolerance seems to be acceptable. In PF malaria, clindamycin appears to be well effective in the cure of semi-immune subjects, and increase s quinine activity; diarrhea could occur less frequently than expected . Because of a low intaerythrocytic concentration, fluoroquinolone ant ibiotics don't have a sufficient activity. Azithromycine may be more e ffective than other macrolides. Howether, wider use of antibiotics in malaria is hindered by studies difficulties and possible consequences for bacterial diseases.