Abstract

Drug resistance in the malaria parasites of man is of two kinds. The first is resistance to drugs which inhibit dihydrofolate reductase, proguanil (Paludrine) and pyrimethamine (Daraprim). This type occurs in all three common parasite species, Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae. The second type of resistance is to the 4-aminoquinolines chloroquine and amodiaquine (Camoquin; Basoquin in the USA), and rarely to quinine, and this is known only in P. falciparum. Both types of resistance frequently coexist in falciparum infections.