QUESTION:

In India what is the duration of primaquine therapy in confirmed Malaria infection?

ANSWER:

Primaquine is usually used to kill the hypnozoite stages of Plasmodium vivax or P. ovale. This life stage of the malaria parasite can reside, dormant in the liver’s hepatocyte cells, even after the patient has completed the normal course of treatment for the infection; at this stage, the patient might not have visible malaria parasites in the bloodstream, and thus be considered “cured”. Despite this, the patient is actually potentially at risk from recurrence of malaria if the dormant liver hepatocytes re-enter the blood stream.

For this reason, patients with P. vivax or P. ovale should complete a course of primaquine in addition to the standard malaria treatment offered. The usual adult dosage for primaquine is 15-30mg base, taken orally, once a day for 14 days.