Approximately 170 million inhabitants of the American continent live at risk of malaria transmission. Although the continent’s contribution to the global malaria burden is small, at least 1 to 1.2 million malaria cases are reported annually. Sixty per cent of the malaria cases occur in Brazil and the other 40% are distributed in 20 other countries of Central and South America. Plasmodium vivax is the predominant species (74.2 %) followed by P. falciparum (25.7 %) and P. malariae (0.1%), and no less than 10 Anopheles species have been identified as primary or secondary malaria vectors. Rapid deforestation and agricultural practices are directly related to increases in Anopheles species diversity and abundance, as well as in the number of malaria cases. Additionally, climate changes profoundly affect malaria transmission and are responsible for malaria epidemics in some regions of South America. Parasite drug resistance is increasing, but due to bio-geographic barriers there is extraordinary genetic differentiation of parasites with limited dispersion. Although the clinical spectrum ranges from uncomplicated to severe malaria cases, due to the generally low to middle transmission intensity, features such as severe anemia, cerebral malaria and other complications appear to be less frequent than in other endemic regions and asymptomatic infections are a common feature. Although the National Malaria Control Programs (NMCP) of different countries differ in their control activities these are all directed to reduce morbidity and mortality by using strategies like health promotion, vector control and impregnate bed nets among others. Recently, international initiatives such as the Malaria Control Program in Andean-country Border Regions (PAMAFRO) (implemented by the Andean Organism for Health (ORAS) and sponsored by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)) and The Amazon Network for the Surveillance of Antimalarial Drug Resistance (RAVREDA) (sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and several other partners), have made great investments for malaria control in the region. We describe here the current status of malaria in a non-Amazonian region comprising several countries of South and Central America participating in the Centro Latino Americano de Investigación en Malaria (CLAIM), an International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) sponsored by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Candida infections represent a major threat in neonatal intensive care units. This is the first prospective study to obtain caspofungin plasma levels and safety data for neonates and very young infants. Patients of <3 months of age receiving intravenous amphotericin B for documented or highly suspected candidiasis were enrolled in a single-dose (n ‫؍‬ 6) or subsequent multiple-dose (n ‫؍‬ 12) panel; all received caspofungin at 25 mg/m 2 once daily as a 1-hour infusion. Caspofungin plasma levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and compared to historical data from adults. Patient chronological ages ranged from 1 to 11 weeks, and weights ranged from 0.68 to 3.8 kg. Gestational ages ranged from 24 to 41 weeks. Geometric mean (GM) peak (C 1 h ) and trough (C 24 h ) caspofungin levels were 8.2 and 1.8 g/ml, respectively, on day 1, and 11.1 and 2.4 g/ml, respectively, on day 4. GM ratios for C 1 h and C 24 h for neonates/infants relative to adults receiving caspofungin at 50 mg/day were 1.07 and 1.36, respectively, on day 1, and 1.18 and 1.21, respectively, on day 4. Clinical and laboratory adverse events occurred in 17 (94%) and 8 (44%) patients, respectively. Five patients (28%) had serious adverse events, none of which were considered drug related. Caspofungin at 25 mg/m 2 once daily was well tolerated in this group of neonates/infants of <3 months of age and appears to provide relatively similar plasma exposure to that obtained in adults receiving 50 mg/day. However, the small number of patients studied precludes any definitive recommendations about caspofungin dosing for this group comprising a broad range of ages and weights.Candida infections are a major concern in neonatal intensive care units, especially for infants with very low birth weights (Ͻ1,500 g). Late-onset sepsis develops in approximately 20% of critically ill neonates and low-birth-weight infants, and Candida species account for at least 10% of these infections (16). Antifungal regimens currently used in neonates are associated with increasing fungal resistance, notable toxicity, drug-drug interactions, or a limited spectrum of activity (4). Hence, there is a medical need to pursue the use of newer antifungal agents for the neonatal population.Caspofungin is an echinocandin antifungal that is effective as primary therapy for esophageal candidiasis (1, 6, 19), candidemia (8), and other invasive Candida infections (5) in adults. In a pharmacokinetic study of 39 children and adolescents (2 to 17 years of age), a caspofungin dose of 50 mg/m 2 daily (based on body surface area [BSA] dosing) resulted in plasma concentrations commensurate with the 50-mg daily dose used in adults (20). Data for younger children (3 to 24 months of age) who received caspofungin at 50 mg/m 2 daily (11) show pharmacokinetic results similar to those seen for the 2-to 11-yearold cohort (20). Several reports suggest that caspofungin may be useful for the treatment of candidemia in neonates (10,12,15,21); however, the appropriate dosage for this population h...

Gram-negative organisms predominate in Colombia among infants <2000 g. The emergence of gram-negative organisms and their associated risk factors requires further study.

the RSV caused 1 in 3 LRTI hospitalizations in the population, with an incidence of 30.0%. This confirms a continuous circulation of RSV in Colombia varying by geographic location.

Plasmodium vivax malaria is an important cause of morbidity in Central and South America. In Colombia, this is the most prevalent malaria infection, representing 75% of the reported cases. To define the efficacy of the chloroquine and primaquine regimen to eliminate hypnozoites and prevent relapses, we conducted a random controlled clinical trial of three primaquine regimens in an open-label study. We evaluated the anti-relapse efficacy of total primaquine doses of 45, 105, and 210 mg administered at a dosage of 15 mg/day in 210 adults with P. vivax infection from the northwestern region of Colombia. Cure rates for blood-stage P. vivax malaria by day 28 of follow-up were 100% in all groups. Post-treatment reappearance of parasitemia during the six months of follow-up was 45%, 36.6% and 17.6%, respectively, for each group. When compared with other groups, administration of 210 mg was a significant protection factor for reappearance of parasitemia in a malaria-endemic area.