[In-vivo evaluation of Plasmodium falciparum sensitivity to chloroquine in Abidjan].

In vivo tests of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine sensitivity were conducted in October and November, 1988 with 81 children aged 5 to 9 in several districts of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The WHO standard scheme covering 7 days on basis of 25 mg per kilo spread over 3 days resulted in a therapeutic failure in 29.6 per cent cases. Nevertheless, a drop in overall parasitemia by over 80 per cent was noted from Day-0 to Day-2 in 70 per cent of visible resistance. Only in vivo tests conducted at a later stage with identification of chloroquine in the blood stream, with together in vitro studies will make it possible to know the actual level of resistance of Plasmodium falciparum strains to chloroquine.