Inoue J, Silva M, Fofana B, Sanogo K, Mårtensson A, Sagara I, Björkman A, Veiga MI, Ferreira PE, Djimde A, Gil JP. Plasmodium falciparum Plasmepsin 2 Duplications, West Africa. Emerg Infect Dis. 2018 Aug;24(8). Epub 2018 Aug 17. PubMed PMID: 29798744
Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine (DHA/PPQ) is increasingly deployed as antimalaria drug in Africa. We report the detection in Mali of Plasmodium falciparum infections carrying plasmepsin 2 duplications (associated with piperaquine resistance) in 7/65 recurrent infections within 2 months after DHA/PPQ treatment. These findings raise concerns about the long-term efficacy of DHA/PPQ treatment in Africa.
