Malaria chemoprophylaxis with mefloquine efficacy and tolerability

Abstract EN

Objective : To evaluate the efficacy of mefloquine as a prophylactic agent and to determine its side effects.

Methods : Seven hundred and sixty healthy Jordanian soldiers received mefloquine-(mephaquin)-250 mg one tablet weekly from the first of June till the end of November 2000.

This was followed by doxycycline-(unidox)-lOOmg one tablet daily for one month (last month in the mission).

Soldiers were screened monthly for any side effects.

All were males ; their median age was 26 years.

Results : Two hundred and eighty-nine subjects (38 %) reported adverse effects.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms were the most common and troublesome, followed by gastrointestinal side effects.

Drug withdrawal symptoms were observed in 114 patients (15 %), mostly vivid daydreams.

The efficacy rate of malaria prophylaxis for this regimen was 95 % to mephaquin and 88% to unidox, the attitude result width unidox were criticized due to drug non-compliance.

Conclusion : Despite the relatively high incidence of side effects, mefloquine is still highly effective for malaria prophylaxis in chloroquine resistant areas.