[Preliminary study, in vitro, of the sensitivity of P. falciparum to chloroquine, mefloquine and quinine during 1985, in Kampuchea].

In vitro sensitivity studies of three antimalarials against 45 strains of P. falciparum isolated in western and north-western provinces of Kampuchea, has been carried out, following the WHO microtest. The results, derived from 15 strains, exhibit a resistance rate of 12/14 with chloroquine, 6/6 with quinine and 0/14 with mefloquine. These results, compared with past and current in vivo studies, confirm that the chloroquine therapy should not anymore employed. Quinine remains efficient, but the parasitemia decrease is slow and this treatment must be often carried out for 14 days and renewed in 6% of the cases. Mefloquine was quite efficient on 21 patients followed for 28 days. While waiting for mefloquine availability, studies are carried out for in vivo and in vitro appraisal of the chemosensitivity condition of P. falciparum strains isolated from other endemic areas of Kampuchea in order to determine the most satisfying antimalarial association as far as cost/effectiveness ratio is concerned.