diagnosis

This is a practical laboratory overview of current detection methods for malaria parasites, suitable for use in developing countries.

Direct PCR provides a rapid, highly sensitive, and cost-effective alternative to diagnosing malaria using filter paper samples and standard nested PCR.

In May to July 2009, we interviewed 9 drug shop workers, 5 health workers and 4 district health officials and carried out 10 focus group discussions with a total of 75 community members to investigate the role of drug shops and the potential for implementation of RDTs at these health care outlets.

This is a practical laboratory overview of current detection methods for malaria parasites, suitable for use in developing countries.

For more than a decade, flow cytometry-based automated haematology analysers have been studied for malaria diagnosis.

Not giving antimalarial drugs in febrile children who had a negative RDTm result was safe, even in an area highly endemic for malaria. Our study provides evidence for treatment recommendations based on parasitological diagnosis in children <5 years old.

In the present study, we developed a LAMP method for the molecular diagnosis of Plasmodium knowlesi infection (PkLAMP) and evaluated its sensitivity, specificity, and clinical applicability.

This study further validates LAMP as an alternative molecular diagnostic tool, which can be used in the diagnosis of early infections of malaria cases and together with nPCR can also be used as supplementary methods for clinical and epidemiological use.

 
These tests should be considered as a good alternative to microscopy, allowing not only an efficient and rapid diagnosis of malaria in primary health facilities but also to aid in promoting changes for antimalarial prescription behavior.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a X-chromosomally transmitted disorder of the erythrocyte that affects 400 million people worldwide. Diagnosis of heterozygously-deficient women is complicated: as a result of lyonization, these women have a normal and a G6PD-deficient population of erythrocytes. The cytochemical assay is the only reliable assay to discriminate between heterozygously-deficient women and non-deficient women or homozygously-deficient women. G6PD deficiency is mainly found in areas where malaria is or has been endemic.