RESUMO

Plasmodium falciparum parasites have been endemic to Haiti for >40 years without evidence of chloroquine (CQ) resistance. In 2006 and 2007, we obtained blood smears for rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and filter paper blots of blood from 821 persons by passive and active case detection. P. falciparum infections diagnosed for 79 persons by blood smear or RDT were confirmed by PCR for the small subunit rRNA gene of P. falciparum. Amplification of the P. falciparum CQ resistance transporter (pfcrt) gene yielded 10 samples with amplicons resistant to cleavage by ApoI. A total of 5 of 9 samples had threonine at position 76 of pfcrt, which is consistent with CQ resistance (haplotypes at positions 72-76 were CVIET [n = 4] and CVMNT [n = 1]); 4 had only the wild-type haplotype associated with CQ susceptibility (CVMNK). These results indicate that CQ-resistant haplotype P. falciparum malaria parasites are present in Haiti.

Assuntos

Antimaláricos/farmacologia , Cloroquina/farmacologia , Resistência a Medicamentos/genética , Haplótipos , Malária Falciparum/epidemiologia , Proteínas de Membrana Transportadoras/genética , Plasmodium falciparum/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas de Protozoários/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Animais , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Haiti/epidemiologia , Humanos , Malária Falciparum/diagnóstico , Malária Falciparum/parasitologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Testes de Sensibilidade Parasitária , Plasmodium falciparum/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Adulto Jovem