Chloroquine tolerance of ethiopian strains of P. Falciparum

Abstract

11 of 41 Ethiopians in hospital with P. falciparum malaria experienced a delayed recrudescence of parasitaemia following treatment with 10 mg. chloroquine base per kg. of body weight. Parasites from 25 of the 41 patients were successfully cultivated in vitro, and 9 isolates showed development in chloroquine concentrations of 0·5 to 1·0 millimicromoles per c.c. of blood. 3 isolates with development at the 1·0 millimicromole level were from patients who experienced a recrudescence of parasitaemia. In vivo and in vitro results suggest a chloroquine responsiveness of some Ethiopian isolates of P. falciparum which is between that of the sensitive Uganda I strain and the resistant Malayan (Camp.) strain; a finding not previously documented in African parasites.