STUDIES ON CHLOROQUINE-INDUCED PRURITUS AMONG RESIDENTS OF BENIN CITY

ABSTRACT
A survey was carried out to estimate the prevalence of malaria and chloroquine – induced pruritus among residents of Benin City. The potential usefulness of chlorpheniramine and prednisolone combination as antipruritic agent was evaluated among 30 selected chloroquine itchers. The sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine was also evaluated among patients that presented with malaria in the general practice clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, using macrotest technique as described by Rieckmann et al., (1968).
The study shows that malaria is endemic among residents of Benin City. Of the eight hundred and sixty one respondents, 859 (99.80%) reported to have had malaria in their life time, while 2 (0.20%) had never had malaria. Among the 859 respondents that had had malaria, 659 (76.54%) had taken chloroquine. The incidence of chloroquine – induced pruritus was (64.70%). It was observed that there was no correlation among the, sexes (P > 0.05) and rhesus groups (P > 0.05) with respect to incidence of malaria. There was a correlation among blood groups (P < 0.05) and genotypes (P < 0.05) with respect to malaria.
A high proportion of respondents among females, AA genotypes, blood group O, and rhesus +ve groups, indicated to have had malaria more frequently than others. Incidence of itching appeared to be more frequent in families with history of itching. A high proportion (64.70%) of the respondents who itched to chloroquine used chlorpheniramine as antipruritic agent or used sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine as alternative antimalarial drug. Chlorpheniramine (4mg) and prednisolone (5mg) combination was beneficial to (95.65%) of itchers in alleviating chloroquine related itching.