A comparison of different antipyretics in children with malaria showed a small effect of naproxen, but not of metamizol, on the reduction of fever peaks. Antipyretic treatment had no effect on fever clearance and therefore should be used cautiously in the treatment of malaria. Fever is the most apparent sign during an acute malaria attack and can be accompanied by other nonspecific symptoms such as headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea. The physiological role of fever in

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... ia and other infectious diseases remains unclear [1], and the value of reducing fever in children with malaria is controversial [2]. To control fever, the World Health Organization [3] recommends mechanical measures such as fanning, tepid sponging, and cooling blankets. In addition to antimalarial chemotherapy, patients usually also receive antipyretic treatment to keep fever low [4], despite growing doubts about the need for this practice [5] . Data from Kwiatkowski [6] and our own recent in vitro data show that increased temperatures, which correspond to febrile temperatures in humans, inhibit the growth of Plasmodium falciparum. It seems that malarial fever is a beneficial reaction of the host to combat the infection by killing or inhibiting