In areas of seasonal malaria transmission, treatment of carriers of malaria parasites, whose parasitaemia persists at very low levels throughout the dry season, could be a useful strategy for malaria control in areas with a short transmission season. We did a randomized trial to compare two regimens for clearance of low level parasitaemia in the dry season.
104 individuals with low density Plasmodium falciparum infection detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were randomized to receive sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and three daily doses of artesunate (SP+AS) or SP+AS and a dose of primaquine (SP+AS+PQ), and were followed up for 14 days during the transmission-free season in Eastern Sudan. Subjects were visited on days 3, 7 and 14 after the start of treatment to record any adverse events and to detect P.falciparum using PCR. PCR positive samples were tested for gametocytes using RT-PCR. Packed cell volume was measured on days 7 and 14.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
104
sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) plus three daily doses of artesunate (AS)
single dose of primaquine on day 4
Tropical Medicine Research Institute
Khartoum, Sudan
P.falciparum parasitaemia detected by PCR on days 3,7 and 14.
Time frame: 14 days from start of treatment
Presence of gametocytes detected by RT-PCR on days 3, 7 and 14.
Time frame: 14 days from start of treatment
Packed Cell volume on days 7 and 14.
Time frame: Over 14 days from start of treatment
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