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Therapeutic failure after regimen with artemether-lumefantrine combination therapy: a report of three cases in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Currently, there appears to be a downward trend in the efficacy of ACT in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa because some patients have been positive for Plasmodium parasite 3 days after artemether-lumefantrine treatment. We reported three cases of possible parasite resistance to artemether-lumefantrine therapy. All subjects had complete parasite clearance when treated with other antimalarial drugs. This observation necessitates the urgent need to re-evaluate artemether-lumefantrine medication in Nigeria since it is one of the most commonly used ACT drug.

Keywords:
Malaria; Nigeria; Artemether-lumefantrine; Resistance

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