Abstract
BackgroundChloroquine has been administered to the soldiers of the Republic of Korea as prophylaxis against vivax malaria. Recent increase in the number of chloroquine-resistant parasites has raised concern over the chemoprophylaxis and treatment of vivax malaria.MethodsTo monitor the development of chloroquine-resistant parasites in the Republic of Korea, analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of pvmdr1 and microsatellite markers were performed using samples collected from 55 South Korean soldiers infected with Plasmodium vivax.ResultsFour SNPs, F1076L, T529, E1233, and S1358, were identified. Among these, S1358 was detected for the first time in Korea. The microsatellite-based study revealed higher genetic diversity in samples collected in 2012 than in 2011.ConclusionsTaken together, the results indicate that P. vivax with a newly identified SNP of pvmdr1 has been introduced into the Korean P. vivax population. Therefore, continuous monitoring for chloroquine-resistant parasites is required for controlling vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea.
Highlights
Chloroquine has been administered to the soldiers of the Republic of Korea as prophylaxis against vivax malaria
This percentage rose to 44.7 % (1811/4063) when military personnel diagnosed with vivax malaria following discharge from the service were counted [7]
The cumulative numbers of the soldiers receiving this treatment exceeded approximately 1.8 million by 2011. This chemoprophylaxis has contributed to the containment of vivax malaria, the possibility of the emergence of chloroquine-resistant P. vivax strains has been a concern
Summary
Chloroquine has been administered to the soldiers of the Republic of Korea as prophylaxis against vivax malaria. In the Republic of Korea, vivax malaria had been successfully eliminated by the late 1970s by an effective World Health Organization (WHO) programme This infectious disease has re-emerged, since a soldier was diagnosed with P. vivax infection in 1993 [3, 4]. Military personnel accounted for 25.3 % (1029/4063) of all malaria cases reported from 2008 to 2010 [6] This percentage rose to 44.7 % (1811/4063) when military personnel diagnosed with vivax malaria following discharge from the service were counted [7]. In this regard, mass chemoprophylaxis using chloroquine and primaquine has been administered to soldiers since the year 1997 to control vivax malaria infection.
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