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Adequate Primaquine for Vivax Malaria

  1. Scott Kitchener*,
  2. Peter Nasveld,
  3. Sonya Bennett,
  4. Joseph Torresi

Article first published online: 8 MAR 2006

DOI: 10.2310/7060.2005.12306

Issue

Journal of Travel Medicine

Journal of Travel Medicine

Volume 12, Issue 3, pages 133–135, May 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Kitchener, S., Nasveld, P., Bennett, S. and Torresi, J. (2005), Adequate Primaquine for Vivax Malaria. Journal of Travel Medicine, 12: 133–135. doi: 10.2310/7060.2005.12306

Author Information

  1. Scott Kitchener, MBBS, DrPH: Centre for Military and Veterans— Health, Herston, Australia; Peter Nasveld, MBBS, FACTM: Senior Research Physician, Army Malaria Institute, Gallipoli Barracks, Queensland, Australia; Sonya Bennett, MBBS, FRACGP: Research Coordinator, Centre for Military and Veterans— Health, Herston, Australia; Joseph Torresi, MBBS, FRACP: Infectious Disease Specialist, Victorian Infectious Disease Service, Melbourne, Australia

*Reprint requests: Scott Kitchener, MBBS, DrPH, Centre for Military and Veterans— Health, Mayne Medical School, Herston Rd, Herston 4006, Queensland, Australia.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 MAR 2006
  2. Article first published online: 8 MAR 2006

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Background: Treatment of vivax malaria with primaquine prevents the relapse of infection from residual liver stages of the parasite. Inadequate dosage is related to a higher relapse risk.

Methods: A comparison was made of vivax malaria relapse–prevention treatments with primaquine 22.5 mg or 30 mg daily for 14 days on 146 reports to the Australian Army Central Malaria Register.

Results: The lower dose of primaquine was found to carry a relative risk of 6.63 for a relapse of vivax malaria compared with the higher dose.

Conclusions: The available data presented here suggest that vivax malaria in this region is increasingly tolerant of the 22.5 mg daily treatment regimen of primaquine and that the greater dose of at least 30 mg daily is more effective.

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