Therapeutic Efficacies of <i>Artemisa Annua</i> (Linn). Derivatives in the Treatment of Resistant Malaria: Case Reports

Abstract

Current therapeutic efficacies of two derivatives of Artemisinin annua were investigated in a 29year old boy who had uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infection. The subject was initially treated with a full dose of artesunate and on failure was subsequently treated with a full dose of artemether. The protocol of the World Health organization’s extended in vivo test was used to monitor parasite clearance and clinical cure. Therapeutic response was assessed by comparing the baseline (day o) level of parasitaemia with that observed on day 14. Resistance and eventually recrudescence were observed on day 14 of artesunate treatment. This responded adequately to paranteral artemether treatment. The foci in which multidrug-resistant cases of malaria are developing in Africa need to be identified quickly, so that such cases can be cured before the strains of P.falciparum that are resistant to several drugs have a chance to be more widespread.