The safety of atovaquone/proguanil in long-term malaria prophylaxis of nonimmune adults.

BACKGROUND: Data on the long-term safety of atovaquone/proguanil in nonimmune travelers are limited. METHODS: An open-label study, involving 300 Danish soldiers stationed in Eritrea for 6 months was initiated. The subjects self-reported their symptoms on a post-travel questionnaire. The study compared the symptoms of compliers and noncompliers. RESULTS: No serious adverse events occurred. Diarrhea, stomach pain, headache, cough, and loss of appetite were the most common symptoms reported. No case of Plasmodium falciparum malaria occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Atovaquone/proguanil was safe and well tolerated in this group of long-term nonimmune travelers.