Therapeutic failure after regimen with artemether-lumefantrine combination therapy: a report of three cases in Benin City, Nigeria

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Osamudiamen Ebohon, Francis Irabor, Linda Osahon Ebohon, Ehimwenma Sheena Omoregie
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2019
• Subjects: Malaria; Nigeria; Artemether-lumefantrine; Resistance; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0163-2019; https://doaj.org/article/34af4e723b264d388e3184811a2be561

Abstract Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Currently, there appears to be a downward trend in the efficacy of ACT in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa because some patients have been positive for Plasmodium parasite 3 days after artemether-lumefantrine treatment. We reported three cases of possible parasite resistance to artemether-lumefantrine therapy. All subjects had complete parasite clearance when treated with other antimalarial drugs. This observation necessitates the urgent need to re-evaluate artemether-lumefantrine medication in Nigeria since it is one of the most commonly used ACT drug.