Publication
Title
Evaluation of the performance of CareStart Malaria Pf/Pv Combo rapid diagnostic test for the diagnosis of malaria in Jimma, southwestern Ethiopia
Author
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic performance of CareStart Malaria Pf/Pv Combo test relative to microscopy, for the diagnosis of falciparum and vivax malaria in Ethiopia. Methods Two hundred and forty febrile patients visiting the Serbo health center in Jimma zone, southwestern Ethiopia, were involved in this study in 2008. Giemsa-stained thin and thick blood smears were prepared and microscopically examined under a 100× oil immersion microscope objective for Plasmodium species identification and determination of parasitemia respectively. CareStart Malaria Pf/Pv Combo test was performed as per the manufacturers instruction. Findings The validity of CareStart Malaria Pf/Pv Combo test for the diagnosis of Plasmodium was very good with a sensitivity of 95.8%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 96%. The test performed equally well for the identification of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. The diagnostic performance of this CareStart test is comparable to light microscopy of thin and thick blood smears. Conclusion Although CareStart Malaria Pf/Pv Combo test and blood microscopy have comparable diagnostic performance for Plasmodium detection, the CareStart test has the added advantage of being simple to interpret, cost-efficient, and hence it is preferable to use this rapid diagnostic test for malaria diagnosis in areas where microscopy is not accessible and during times of malaria epidemics that are observed approximately every 45 years in Ethiopia.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Acta tropica. - Basel
Publication
Basel : 2010
ISSN
0001-706X
DOI
10.1016/J.ACTATROPICA.2009.12.001
Volume/pages
113 :3 (2010) , p. 285-288
ISI
000275677700013
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 28.05.2010
Last edited 23.08.2022
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