Development of resistance to chloroquine by Plasmodium vivax in Myanmar.

Fifty patients with Plasmodium vivax infection were treated with the standard regimen of chloroquine phosphate (1500 mg over 3 d) followed by primaquine (45 mg immediately and then weekly for 8 weeks); 43 patients had sensitive infections but recrudescences of parasitaemia occurred between days 3 and 14 with RI, RII and RIII patterns in one, 3 and 3 patients, respectively. All the chloroquine-resistant cases were again treated with chloroquine (1500 mg) and no further recrudescence or relapse was detected on days 21 and 28. This study indicates that chloroquine is losing its efficacy against P.

Genetic red cell disorders and severity of falciparum malaria in Myanmar.

A hospital-based survey was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the incidence and severity of malaria infection and various red cell disorders in Myanmar. The mean parasitaemia levels of patients with alpha- or beta-thalassaemia trait or with severe glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency were lower than those of individuals with normal haemoglobin AA or with heterozygous haemoglobin E. The double genetic defect of thalassaemia trait and severe G6PD deficiency appeared to confer some degree of protection against malaria.