Link to Pubmed [PMID] – 27704030
Link to HAL – Click here
Link to DOI – 10.1093/ofid/ofw185
Open Forum Infect Dis 2016 Sep; 3(3): ofw185
Because of concerns about possible emergence of artemisinin resistance strains of Plasmodium falciparum in mining areas of the interior of Guyana, a 7-day artesunate trial was conducted from March to December 2014. The day-3 parasite clearance rate, the efficacy of artesunate at day 28, and polymorphism of Kelch 13 (PfK13)-the marker of artemisinin resistance-were assessed. The study confirmed the continued sensitivity of P. falciparum to artemisinin. A 7-day course of artesunate was 100% efficacious with only 2% (95% confidence interval, .1%-10.9%) of enrolled subjects positive at day 3. All day-0 parasite samples were wild type. Continued resistance monitoring is nevertheless recommended, given the widespread availability and uncontrolled use of artemisinin drugs in mining areas of Guyana.