In Vivo and in Vitro Efficacy of Antimalarial Treatments in Children in Burkina Faso

Plasmodium falciparum resistance to antimalarial drugs represents the major drawback and obstacle for controlling malaria in endemic countries; that's why most sub-Saharan countries have changed their antimalarial drug policy to Artemisinin Containing Therapies (ACT), which produce a rapid clinical and parasitological cure, reduce gametocyte carriage rate and are generally well tolerated. Burkina Faso has recently changed its policy for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, from Chloroquine to Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL) and Artesunate-Amodiaquine (AQ+AS). However, there are still little available data on safety and efficacy of these treatments in Burkina Faso; a recent study carried out in Bobo Dioulasso showed that both treatments were extremely efficacious (adjusted treatment failure less than 5%) but with AL showing significantly high occurrence of recurrent infections during the 28-day follow up period. The higher risk for recurrent infections for AL was confirmed in a subsequent trial comparing AL with AQ-SP and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, but so far no direct comparison between AQ+AS and AL has been completed, though a study in Nanoro, near Ouagadougou, is ongoing. Thus, the present study aims at comparing the in vivo safety and efficacy of AL and AS-AQ (42-day follow-up),AND at comparing the in vitro sensitivity of the different ACT components, in patients with recurrent infection, with the results obtained in vivo.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 6 - 59 months
• Weight > 5 kg
• Mono-infection with P. falciparum
• Parasitemia of 4,000-200,000 asexual parasites per µl
• Fever: > 37.5 °C or history of fever in the preceding 24 hours
• Haemoglobin > 5.0 g/dl
• Signed informed consent by the parents or guardians
• Parents' or guardians' willingness and ability to comply with the study protocol for the duration of the trial.

Exclusion criteria

• Participation in any other clinical trial during the previous 30 days
• Known hypersensitivity to the study drugs
• Severe and/or complicated malaria (cases will be referred to Bobo-Dioulasso University hospital for treatment)
• Danger signs: not able to drink or breast-feed, vomiting (> twice in 24hours), recent history of convulsions (>1 in 24h), unconscious state, unable to sit or stand;
• Known intercurrent illness or any condition which would place the subject at undue risk or interfere with the results of the study.
• Severe malnutrition (weight for height <70% of the median NCHS/WHO reference)