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Evaluation of Malaria Microscopy Diagnostic Performance at 40 Public Health Facilities in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire in 2020

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Abstract

Purpose

Microscopic diagnosis of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films remained the gold standard laboratory method for the diagnosis of malaria. In this context, we felt it was important to conduct this evaluation with 40 public medical biology laboratories (MBLs) in the Abidjan 1 health region that perform blood parasitology tests to improve their implementation process.

Methods

This descriptive and analytical study took place in July 2020 and involved participating laboratories (PLs) from the public sector in Abidjan. A set of 3 blood smear slides of variable parasite densities (PDs) with assigned values (AVs) of parasite densities and assigned Plasmodium species was used. The criterion for establishing the parasite density compliance interval was assigned values of ± 25%, and the performance rates were compared to the 80% recommended by the WHO for the African region.

Results

Nearly a quarter (11/40) of the participating laboratories had a compliance rate greater than 80%, including 10 with a performance of 100% for the ability to identify parasites. Regarding identifying plasmodial species, a concordance rate of 100% was obtained for slide 1 for Plasmodium falciparum, while this rate was 20% for slide 2 for Plasmodium ovale. For parasite densities < 200/µl, 87.5% of the participating laboratories (PLs) had a performance rate lower than 80%, while 95% of these PLs had a performance rate higher than 80% for parasitaemia > 2000/µl.

Conclusions

There is a need to strengthen adapted to low parasitaemia, to improve the biological confirmation of malaria in Côte d’Ivoire.

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Data availability

The dataset generated during and/or analysed during the current study are vailable from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Animal Biology and Zoology, Felix Houphouët-Boigny University, BPV 34, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

    Kassi Kondo Fulgence, Koné Estelle Gnanyo Massafoma, Miezan Assohoun Jean Sebastien, Gnamian Nouveau Kanzin Alain, Valerie Bedia-Tanoh Akoua, Angora Kpongbo Etienne, Konaté Abibatou, Vanga-Bosson Abo Henriette, Kiki-Barro Pulchérie Christiane Marie, Djohan Vincent, Yavo William & Menan Eby Ignace Hervé

  2. Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Diagnosis and Research Centre On AIDS and Other Infectious Diseases, 01 BPV 13, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

    Kassi Kondo Fulgence, Koné Estelle Gnanyo Massafoma, Gnamian Nouveau Kanzin Alain & Menan Eby Ignace Hervé

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  1. Kassi Kondo Fulgence
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  2. Koné Estelle Gnanyo Massafoma
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  3. Miezan Assohoun Jean Sebastien
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  11. Yavo William
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  12. Menan Eby Ignace Hervé
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Contributions

KKF, KEGM, MAJS, GNKA, VBTA and AKE: contributed to the design of the study and analyzed the research data. KA, VBAH and KBPCM: provided additional articles related to the topic. KKF, DV, YW and MEIH: wrote the review which was then read and approved by all the other authors.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kassi Kondo Fulgence.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Fulgence, K.K., Massafoma, K.E.G., Sebastien, M.A.J. et al. Evaluation of Malaria Microscopy Diagnostic Performance at 40 Public Health Facilities in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire in 2020. Acta Parasit. 69, 541–548 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-023-00754-2

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