BACKGROUND: Artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum threatens global malaria elimination efforts. To contain and then eliminate artemisinin resistance in Eastern Myanmar a network of community-based malaria posts was instituted and targeted mass drug administration (MDA) with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (three rounds at monthly intervals) was conducted. The prevalence of artemisinin resistance during the elimination campaign (2013-2019) was characterized. METHODS: Throughout the six-year campaign Plasmodium falciparum positive blood samples from symptomatic patients and from cross-sectional surveys were genotyped for mutations in kelch-13-a molecular marker of artemisinin resistance. RESULT: The program resulted in near elimination of falciparum malaria. Of 5162 P. falciparum positive blood samples genotyped, 3281 (63.6%) had K13 mutations. The prevalence of K13 mutations was 73.9% in 2013 and 64.4% in 2019. Overall, there was a small but significant decline in the proportion of K13 mutants (p
Journal article
Malar J
08/05/2024
23
P. falciparum, Artemisinin resistance, Kelch13, Malaria elimination, Mass drug administration, Artemisinins, Myanmar, Malaria, Falciparum, Antimalarials, Drug Resistance, Plasmodium falciparum, Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Male, Adolescent, Adult, Mass Drug Administration, Young Adult, Mutation, Child, Child, Preschool, Middle Aged, Quinolines, Disease Eradication, Piperazines