Persistent Submicroscopic Plasmodium falciparum Parasitemia 72 Hours after Treatment with Artemether-Lumefantrine Predicts 42-Day Treatment Failure in Mali and Burkina Faso
Khalid B. Beshir, Nouhoum Diallo, Fabrice A. Somé, Salif Sombie, Issaka Zongo, Bakary Fofana, Aliou Traore, Souleymane Dama, Amadou Bamadio, Oumar B. Traore, Sam A. Coulibaly, Ouattara S. Maurice, Amidou Diarra, Jean Moise Kaboré, Aly Kodio, Amadou Hamidou Togo, Niawanlou Dara, Moctar Coulibaly, Francois Dao, Frederic Nikiema, Yves D. Compaore, Naomie T. Kabore, Nouhoun Barry, Issiaka Soulama, Issaka Sagara, Sodiomon B. Sirima, Jean-Bosco Ouédraogo, Abdoulaye Djimde, Colin J. Sutherland
Abstract
A recent randomized controlled trial, the WANECAM (West African Network for Clinical Trials of Antimalarial Drugs) trial, conducted at seven centers in West Africa, found that artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, pyronaridine-artesunate, and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine all displayed good efficacy. However, artemether-lumefantrine was associated with a shorter interval between clinical episodes than the other regimens.