Asymptomatic, recrudescent, chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum infections in Nigerian children: clinical and parasitological characteristics and implications for the transmission of drug-resistant parasites

Abstract

The clinical features of their primary Plasmodium falciparum infections and of the recrudescent infections that emerged after chloroquine (CQ) treatment were evaluated in 48 children. Compared with the primary infections, the recrudescent infections were accompanied by significantly fewer symptoms and lower densities of parasitaemia but a much higher gametocytaemia:parasitaemia ratio (0.051 v. 0.00097; P = 0.0000000). There was a negative correlation between the recrudescent parasitaemia and the time elapsing between its detection and the subsequent onset of symptoms (r = –0.44; P = 0.006). The recrudescent parasitaemia was significantly lower [with geometric means and (ranges) of 117 (40–9756) v. 1112 (30–25,592) asexual forms/μl; P = 0.009] and the recrudescent gametocytaemia:parasitaemia ratio significantly higher (0.59 v. 0.024; P = 0.0000002) in those who were asymptomatic for at least 5 days after detection of the recrudescent parasitaemia than in those who were symptomatic at recrudescence. The disposition kinetics of the gametocytaemias in 18 primary infections — from nine children who failed CQ treatment and nine other children, matched for age and gender with the failures, who were CQ-treatment successes — were analysed. The results showed that the maximum gametocytaemia, time taken to reach the maximum gametocytaemia, the half-life of the gametocytaemia and the area inscribed by the plot of gametocytaemia against time were significantly higher, and the clearance of gametocytaemia significantly slower, in the children with primary infections that recrudesced. It therefore appears that continuing the use of CQ in areas where some parasites are resistant to the drug may confer survival and propagation advantages on the resistant parasites.