Efficacy of chloroquine in febrile Plasmodium falciparum infected children in Mewat region of Haryana.

ABSTRACT

During 1996, Mewat region of Gurgaon district in Haryana experienced high incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, assuming epidemic proportion in large number of villages affected by floods. Mortality due to fever was also high. In vivo 7 days study amongst 32 febrile P. falciparum infected children of 1 to 14 years age group in flood affected villages of Ferozpur Jhirka Community Health Centre of Mewat region was carried out. All the 32 cases showed good response to chloroquine suggesting that drug was effective and useful as first line of treatment, reducing severity of P. falciparum infection and resolving fever due to infection of the species. The study also indicated that chloroquine was an effective drug in controlling epidemic situation and mortality in areas of high incidence of P. falciparum. Pyrogenic stimulus was variable among different developmental stages of P. falciparum and suggestive of the need of earliest possible initiation of anti-malaria treatment, community based fever survey and blood smear examination. Increase in incidence of fever in an endemic community, particularly in children, should be considered as an indicator of impending outbreak of P. falciparum malaria. Effectiveness of diagnostic and control measures taken can be evaluated on the basis of incidence of malaria particularly due to P. falciparum infection and also incidence of fever in an endemic community.