Malaria areas with high rates of malaria. Despite a need, no effective vaccine exists, although efforts to develop one are ongoing. The recommended treatment for malaria is a combination of antimalarial medications that includes an artemisinin. The second medication may be either mefloquine, lumefantrine, or sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. Quinine along with doxycycline may be used if an artemisinin is not available. It is recommended that in areas where the disease is common, malaria is confirmed if possible before treatment is started due to concerns of increasing drug resistance. Resistance among the parasites has developed to several antimalarial medications; for example, chloroquine-resistant "P. falciparum"
Mefloquine events, about 11-17% of travelers are incapacitated to some degree. Mefloquine may cause abnormalities with heart rhythms that are visible on electrocardiograms. Combining mefloquine with other drugs that cause similar effects, such as quinine or quinidine, can increase these effects. Combining mefloquine with halofantrine can cause significant increases in QTc intervals. Mefloquine is contraindicated in those with a previous history of seizures or a recent history of psychiatric disorders. Women should not become pregnant and should use effective birth control while taking mefloquine. A retrospective analysis of outcomes in more than 2,500 women found no evidence that mefloquine was associated