High Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum K13 Mutations in Rwanda Is Associated With Slow Parasite Clearance After Treatment With Artemether-Lumefantrine.
rct · Level II
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34216470.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1093/infdis/jiab352 and PMC identifier 9016418.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
In Southeast Asia, mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum K13 gene have led to delayed parasite clearance and treatment failures in patients with malaria receiving artemisinin combination therapies. Until recently, relevant K13 mutations had been mostly absent from Africa. Between 2018 and 2019, a phase 2 clinical study with 186 patients was conducted in Mali, Gabon, Ghana, Uganda, and Rwanda. Patients with malaria were randomized and treated with artemether-lumefantrine or cipargamin. Here we report an allele frequency of 22% for R561H in Rwanda and associated delayed parasite clearance. Notwithstanding, efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine remained high in Rwanda, with a 94.4% polymerase chain reaction-corrected cure rate.
Medical subject headings
- Antimalarials
- Malaria, Falciparum
- Parasites