Severe Malaria and Anti-malarial Drug Resistance in Cambodia

This study, conducted by the National Center for Malaria Control of Cambodia's Ministry of Health, the Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the People's Republic of China, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, will explore why some people with mild malaria progress to a severe form of the disease and why some malaria parasites are resistant to treatment. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transmitted to humans through a mosquito bite. It can cause fever, aches, and weakness. Left untreated, it can cause severe illness and even death. Malaria can be cured when it is treated with effective medicine, but some malaria parasites are resistant to medicine. Children and adults with malaria symptoms and parasites in their blood will be recruited for this study from the Pursat Regional Health Center in Cambodia and the Thai-Cambodian border area within Pursat Province. Participants are hospitalized for 4 to 6 days at the Pursat Regional Health Center. A small blood sample is collected for genetic study and to look for substances in the blood, such as certain proteins, that may help protect against severe malaria. Patients are then treated with two doses of Artequick(Registered Trademark) (artemisinin-piperaquine), the first dose upon arrival at the hospital and the second the next day. (Participants who are pregnant will be treated with either quinine or artesunate-mefloquine instead of Artequick.) Patients undergo fingersticks several times during their hospital stay to collect a small drop of blood to monitor parasite counts. They are discharged from the hospital when their symptoms resolve and parasites can no longer be detected in their blood. After discharge, patients return to the clinic once a week for 3 weeks for a blood test to monitor for parasites, as some parasites may be slightly resistant to the medication. Patients in whom symptoms or parasites reappear undergo treatment with artesunate and mefloquine. ...