ArticleMalaria journal2014
Limit of blank and limit of detection of Plasmodium falciparum thick blood smear microscopy in a routine setting in Central Africa.
Article in Malaria journal, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers.
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43 citing papers in PubMed.
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- Dynamics of Afebrile Plasmodium falciparum Infections in Mozambican Men.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2018Trial
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- Evaluation of Malaria Screening during Pregnancy with Rapid Diagnostic Tests Performed by Community Health Workers in Burkina Faso.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2017Trial
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- Ex Vivo Drug Susceptibility ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Parasitic infections during pregnancy in Gabon affect glycosylation patterns of maternal and child antibodies.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Slow clearance of histidine-rich protein-2 in Gabonese with uncomplicated malaria.Microbiology spectrum · 2024Observational
- Impact of helminth infections during pregnancy on maternal and newborn Vitamin D and on birth outcomes.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Epidemiology of co-infections in pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus 1 in rural Gabon: a cross-sectional study.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2023Article
- Comparative study ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Low Prevalence ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Handheld Purification-Free Nucleic Acid Testing Device for Point-of-Need Detection of Malaria from Whole Blood.ACS sensors · 2023Article
- Article
- Malaria Research for Tailored Control and Elimination Strategies in the Greater Mekong Subregion.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2022Article
- A PfSPZ vaccine immunization regimen equally protective against homologous and heterologous controlled human malaria infection.NPJ vaccines · 2022Article
- Prevalence of non-Plasmodium falciparum species in southern districts of Brazzaville in The Republic of the Congo.Parasites & vectors · 2022Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundProper malaria diagnosis depends on the detection of asexual forms of Plasmodium spp. in the blood. Thick blood smear microscopy is the accepted gold standard of malaria diagnosis and is widely implemented. Surprisingly, diagnostic performance of this method is not well investigated and many clinicians in African routine settings base treatment decisions independent of microscopy results. This leads to overtreatment and poor management of other febrile diseases. Implementation of quality control programmes is recommended, but requires sustained funding, external logistic support and constant training and supervision of the staff. This study describes an easily applicable method to assess the performance of thick blood smear microscopy by determining the limit of blank and limit of detection. These two values are representative of the diagnostic quality and allow the correct discrimination between positive and negative samples.
methodsStandard-conform methodology was applied and adapted to determine the limit of blank and the limit of detection of two thick blood smear microscopy methods (WHO and Lambaréné method) in a research centre in Lambaréné, Gabon. Duplicates of negative and low parasitaemia thick blood smears were read by several microscopists. The mean and standard deviation of the results were used to calculate the limit of blank and subsequently the limit of detection.
resultsThe limit of blank was 0 parasites/μL for both methods. The limit of detection was 62 and 88 parasites/μL for the Lambaréné and WHO method, respectively.
conclusionWith a simple, back-of-the-envelope calculation, the performance of two malaria microscopy methods can be measured. These results are specific for each diagnostic unit and cannot be generalized but implementation of a system to control microscopy performance can improve confidence in parasitological results and thereby strengthen malaria control.
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