Clinical Case of Artesunate Resistant Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Kolkata: A First Report

Abstract

The World Health Organization has urged to set up artemisinin-based combination therapy (artemisinin and effective antimalarial drug) and gradually pull out oral artemisinin mono-therapies from the making of prescription due to their high recrudescence rates and to reduce the risk of drug resistance. Prescription practices by physicians and the availability of oral artemisinin monotherapies with pharmacists directly affect the pattern of their use as a result the first clinical case report of only artesunate resistant P. falciparum malaria has been found from Kolkata. A significant failure rate of artesunate and SP (9.5%) has recently been observed in the district Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, though no specific mutation has been observed in pfATPase6 gene. In view of the above findings to get a clear picture of artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum a thorough study is required involving in vivo, in vitro and molecular procedures in this vulnerable area.