Evaluation of multi-drug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

An in vitro susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine, quinine and monodesethylamodiaquine was investigated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja Nigeria. The standardWHO in vitro micro test methodology was used in the study. Of the 18 isolates evaluated, 16 (88.9%) were resistant to chloroquine with median IC50 of 0.06 µmol/l of blood; 5 (27.7%) resistant to quinine with median IC50 of 4.7 µmol/l of blood; and 6 (33.3%) were resistant to monodesethylamodiaquine with
median IC50 of 0.14 µmol/l. The outcome of the evaluation of multi-drug resistant strains of P. falciparum was amazing. Five isolates (isolates 1, 6, 10, 14 and 16) representing 27.7 % of the isolates were resistant to both chloroquine and quinine. Six isolates (isolates 2, 6, 10, 14, 16 and 18) representing 33.3 % of the isolates were resistant to chloroquine and
monodesethylamodiaquine. Four isolates (isolates 6, 10, 14, and 16) representing 22.2 % of the isolates were resistant to quinine and monodesethylamodiaquine. While four of the isolates (isolates 6, 10, 14, and 16) representing 22.2% of the isolates were resistant to chloroquine, quinine and monodesethylamodiaquine. In conclusion, though reports on multi-drug resistance are scanty in our environment, our research has shown that there is actually P. falciparum strains that are resistant to other
antimalarial drugs apart from chloroquine.