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Performance of an immunochromatographic test for the rapid diagnosis of malaria

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Abstract

The immunochromatographic test (ICT) for the rapid diagnosis of malaria has been marketed for several years. In a study in which three Centres of Tropical Medicine participated and data were pooled, performance of the test varied considerably when comparing the results between each centre. The sensitivity of ICT in 2,343 patients tested in our services was 100% and the specificity 99.74%. Moreover, two patients with a positive ICT would initially have been missed by expert microscopy, with Plasmodium falciparum malaria being confirmed microscopically some hours later. The principal reasons for the better performance of the test in our series appear to be blood collection in EDTA vials and considerable experience with handling and interpreting the ICT test.

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References

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Ebenezer Adusu, Barbara Hoppenheit and Dagmar Fengler-Dopp who performed microscopy and ICTs. The study was not supported by the manufacturer of the ICT test.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Joachim Richter, Irmela Müller-Stöver, Klaus Göbels & Dieter Häussinger

  2. Institute of Tropical Medicine and Medical Faculty Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany

    Gundel Harms

Authors
  1. Joachim Richter
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  2. Gundel Harms
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  3. Irmela Müller-Stöver
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  4. Klaus Göbels
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  5. Dieter Häussinger
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Correspondence to Joachim Richter.

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Richter, J., Harms, G., Müller-Stöver, I. et al. Performance of an immunochromatographic test for the rapid diagnosis of malaria. Parasitol Res 92, 518–519 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1069-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1069-9

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