SPQ Against Malaria

SPQ Against Malaria

As U.S. troops extend their operations in Viet Nam, especially in the Central Highlands, the Viet Cong have found an ally in an especially severe form of malaria resistant to the most potent drugs. Now an Army doctor, Major Peter J. Bartelloni, reports in the A.M.A. Journal that the wonder druggists have done it again. A new, long-acting sulfa, sulformethoxine, developed in Britain, has sent the cure rate soaring and, just as dramatically, reduced the relapse rate.

The vicious falciparum type of malaria parasite is responsible for virtually all the malaria that strikes U.S. troops, despite their "Sunday pill" of chloroquine and pyrimethamine. These parasites even overcome the protective effect of a potent third antimalarial, dia-phenylsulfone (DOS), given to troops in the highlands. Falciparum's fever may be fatal if it attacks the brain. Last winter U.S. medics were saving nearly all their patients by intensive treatment with chloroquine and quinine, but 40% of the men suffered relapses.

Dr. Bartelloni's team added sulforme-thoxine in an "SPQ" combination. Then they dropped the quinine and dosed malarial G.I.s with a combination of the new sulfa and pyrimethamine. Result: The new drug not only cures patients faster and kills parasites in the blood, but reduces the relapse percentage from 40% to a scant 2%.

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