Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. In 2010, an estimated 216 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 655,000 people died, most (91%) in the African Region.

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CDC - Malaria

Update: New Recommendations for Mefloquine Use in Pregnancy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends the antimalarial drug mefloquine for pregnant women both as a malaria treatment option and as an option to prevent malaria infection for all trimesters. Previously mefloquine was not recommended for the treatment of malaria in pregnant women. The change in recommendations is based on the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) re-categorization of mefloquine from a pregnancy category C drug to category B, based on their review of the published data on mefloquine use during pregnancy. These data showed that pregnant women who took mefloquine at various doses for both prevention and treatment of malaria did not have an increased risk of teratogenic effects (birth defects) or adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to the background rate in the general population. Based on studies, the FDA assigns risk categorizes for drugs used in pregnancy which include categories A, B, C, D, and X with categories A and B demonstrating the least risk to the pregnancy.
Malaria is a serious, sometimes fatal, mosquito-borne disease. Malaria infection in pregnant women can be more severe than in nonpregnant women and may also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn infant before or during delivery ("congenital" malaria). Malaria can increase the risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including prematurity, spontaneous abortion, and stillbirth. Pregnant women should avoid travel to malaria-endemic areas if possible. If travel cannot be avoided, malaria infection is largely preventable with the appropriate antimalarial drugs along with other measures to prevent mosquito bites.
See drugs for the prevention of malaria to learn more about mefloquine and other antimalarial drugs.
See the table Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria

[PDF, 148 KB, 3 pages] for information about malaria treatment.
For general information about malaria see, www.cdc.gov/malaria

Primaquine Shortage

Updated: 10/26/2011 According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the antimalarial drug primaquine remains on back order due to manufacturing issues as reported by Sanofi-aventis, the manufacturer of the drug. They are working to resolve the shortage as quickly as possible.
Primaquine is the only drug that can be used to eliminate hypnozoites, the dormant forms of the malaria parasites. Until primaquine is available again. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends to prevent clinical relapses of Plasmodium vivax and ovale, healthcare providers may choose to maintain persons at risk for relapse on weekly chloroquine prophylaxis. Additionally, during the shortage, primaquine should not be prescribed for primary chemoprophylaxis. This notice will be updated as more information becomes available.
For more information about the shortage of primaquine, see the FDA "What's New (Drugs)" page

. For more information about recommended antimalarial drugs by country, see Malaria Endemic Areas by Country. For general information about antimalarial drugs, see Drugs for Prevention.