 |
|
Update on Prevention of Malaria for Travelers
Hans O. Lobel, MD, MPH;
Phyllis E. Kozarsky, MD
JAMA. 1997;278(21):1767-1771.
Abstract
| |
Individuals from industrialized nations frequently travel to countries with malaria, so health care providers need to be familiar with current recommendations for prevention of malaria. Changes in drug susceptibility of malaria parasites and evolving knowledge of how well drugs are tolerated necessitate periodic review of guidelines for prophylaxis of malaria, especially of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Mefloquine is the drug of choice for chemoprophylaxis for most travelers, with doxycycline and chloroquine being less effective alternatives. Mefloquine is well tolerated at prophylactic dosages, but anecdotal reports have raised concerns about its adverse effects. Resistance to this drug has emerged in parts of Southeast Asia and may spread to other regions of the world. The major disadvantages of doxycycline are the need for daily dosing, its contraindication for young children and pregnant women, and its adverse effects. Chloroquine is effective for prophylaxis only in Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of the Middle East. Few new drugs will be available in the near future because of reduced funding for antimalarial drug research and development; therefore, the usefulness of currently available drugs needs to be prolonged by rational use. Increased efforts should be made to ensure that alternative drugs will be available for prevention of malaria.
Author Affiliations
From the Malaria Section, Epidemiology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Dr Lobel), and Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine (Dr Kozarsky), Atlanta, Ga.
Footnotes
The opinions expressed herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Public Health Service, or the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Reprints: Hans O. Lobel, MD, MPH, Mailstop F22, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333 (e-mail: hol1@cdc.gov).
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter
What's this?
RELATED LETTERS
Malaria Prevention for Travelers
Ashley M. Croft, Paul Garner, S. B. Squire, Jonathan D. Kurtis, Joseph K. Koros, Patrick E. Duffy, Michael D. Green, and Hans O. Lobel
JAMA. 1998;279(13):990-991.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Drug Overdoses With Antimalarial Agents: Prescribing and Dispensing Errors
Hans O. Lobel, Philip E. Coyne, and Philip J. Rosenthal
JAMA. 1998;280(17):1483.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
|
Malaria Prevention in Short-Term Travelers
Freedman
NEJM 2008;359:603-612.
FULL TEXT
Antiparasitic Agent Atovaquone
Baggish and Hill
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2002;46:1163-1173.
FULL TEXT
Health Advice for Travelers
Abell et al.
NEJM 2000;343:1045-1046.
FULL TEXT
Difficulties in the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Imported Malaria
Dorsey et al.
Arch Intern Med 2000;160:2505-2510.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Extracts from "Clinical Evidence": Malaria: prevention in travellers
Croft
BMJ 2000;321:154-160.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Health Advice and Immunizations for Travelers
Ryan and Kain
NEJM 2000;342:1716-1725.
FULL TEXT
Prophylaxis against malaria
Durrheim et al.
BMJ 1999;318:1139-1139.
FULL TEXT
Lesson of the week: Malaria at Christmas: risks of prophylaxis versus risks of malaria
Reid et al.
BMJ 1998;317:1506-1508.
FULL TEXT
Drug Overdoses With Antimalarial Agents: Prescribing and Dispensing Errors
Lobel et al.
JAMA 1998;280:1483-1483.
FULL TEXT
Malaria Prevention for Travelers
Croft et al.
JAMA 1998;279:990-991.
FULL TEXT
|
