Malaria in Jayapura District, Papua Province, Indonesia and resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.

Malaria poses a major public health problem in Papua. The rapid spread of drug-resistant parasites and deterioration of the malaria control program following the monetary crisis and civil strife in the late 90’es have worsened the malaria situation in many areas of Papua. To re-assess the current magnitude of malaria problem, a malariometric survey was conducted in three sub-districts of Jayapura District, as well as antimalarial drug sensitivity test using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) at the outpatient clinics of Abepura General Hospital (RSU), Hamadi Primary Health Center and Panti Asuhan Katolik Clinics, Sentani, Jayapura District, Papua Province. Screening of 543 subjects in three sub-districts revealed 185 malaria positive subjects, either with P. falciparum, P. vivax or mixed of the two species. All of the malaria cases were asymptomatic. In the SP drug sensitivity test, of the 56 subjects involved, 32 were classified as early treatment failure and two subjects were classified as late treatment failure. The remaining 22 subjects were classified as adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR). These results indicated that the surveyed area has a high malaria prevalence and treatment failure to SP and therefore alert to the need of deploying new antimalarial regiment that suit the remote setting.

Malaria and Anopheles spp in the villages of Salubarana and Kadaila, Mamuju District, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.

Malaria epidemiology in Salubarana and Kadaila villages, Mamuju District, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia was studied from July-December 2002 to obtain baseline data related to the parasite, mosquito vector, human host, and environmental factors. Monthly malariometric surveys conducted during the six- month period revealed a relatively high prevalence of malaria in Kadaila in comparison to Salubarana. Kadaila was mainly inhabited by migrants from Java, Bali, Lombok, and from other districts of South Sulawesi. Salubarana, on the other hand, was inhabited mainly by indigenous Mandarese. Analysis of 1,113 blood smears taken from individuals randomly involved in the survey revealed 59 positive samples, consisting of Plasmodium falciparum or P. vivax. These two species predominated the samples examined and were occasionally found as mixed infection. Anopheles barbirostris was confirmed as a vector for malaria in this area whereas 7 other species An. barbumbrosus, An. parangensis, An. vagus, An. crawfordi, An.pseudobarbirostris, An. Tessellatus, and An. subpictus should be considered as potential vectors. The first mentioned species predominated, using mainly riverbeds and ground pools as breeding places with a habit of indoor or outdoor resting. These findings could be useful for establishing evidence-based malaria control program in the area.