Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria in South Africa. A case report.

Chloroquine-resistant plasmodium falciparum malaria has been described in many parts of the world, including Africa as far south as south-western Africa. We report a case of chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum cerebral malaria in the RSA. It seems likely that the infection was acquired in the Louis Trichardt district of the northern Transvaal. Despite the administration of an adequate course of chloroquine, the parasitaemia failed to clear and even increased (type III resistance). Eventually clinical and laboratory-proven cure was obtained only after combined quinine and tetracycline therapy. To our knowledge this is the first case of chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum malaria acquired in the RSA.