High failure rates of melarsoprol for sleeping sickness, Democratic Republic of Congo

Jo Robays; Gaspard Nyamowala; Claude Sese; Victor Betu Ku Mesu Kande; Pascal Lutumba; Wim Van der Veken; Marleen Boelaert

doi:10.3201/eid1406.071266

High failure rates of melarsoprol for sleeping sickness, Democratic Republic of Congo

Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Jun;14(6):966-7. doi: 10.3201/eid1406.071266.

Authors

Jo Robays¹, Gaspard Nyamowala, Claude Sese, Victor Betu Ku Mesu Kande, Pascal Lutumba, Wim Van der Veken, Marleen Boelaert

Affiliation

¹ Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. jrobays@itg.be

Abstract

A retrospective chart review of 4,925 human African trypanosomiasis patients treated with melarsoprol in 2001-2003 in Equateur Nord Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo showed a treatment failure rate of 19.5%. This rate increased over the 3 years. Relapse rates were highest in the central part of the province.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Animals
Child
Child, Preschool
Democratic Republic of the Congo / epidemiology
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Melarsoprol / administration & dosage
Melarsoprol / therapeutic use*
Middle Aged
Recurrence
Treatment Failure
Trypanocidal Agents / administration & dosage
Trypanocidal Agents / therapeutic use*
Trypanosomiasis, African / drug therapy*
Trypanosomiasis, African / parasitology
Trypanosomiasis, African / prevention & control

Substances

Trypanocidal Agents
Melarsoprol