Abstract
Rapid diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains one of the main limitations to prompt treatment. Diagnosis based on clinical symptoms is decidedly unreliable, especially in areas of seasonal transmission like Zimbabwe. In view of this, the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein (HRP-II) antigen detection assay (ParaSight-F test) was tried at 10 health centres in 3 malaria endemicity zones of Zimbabwe, as a malaria diagnostic tool for primary health care. Parasitological evaluations were conducted using thick and thin film microscopy as gold standard, and ease of test operation and practicability to nurses were ascertained by questionnaire. The sensitivity of the test did not vary substantially by endemicity zone and was ≃93%. Specificities were 85, 72 and 92% in the hyperendemic, mesoendemic and hypoendemic zones, respectively. Positive predictive values varied considerably with endemicity, the lowest being in the hypoendemic zone (56%). However, negative predictive values did not change significantly, with a mean of 94%. It was found that the ParaSight-F test reduced mistreatment for malaria, relative to clinical diagnosis, by up to 81%, especially in the hypoendemic region. Test acceptability evaluations were good.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 544-550 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Tropical Medicine and International Health |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| State | Published - 1997 |
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Keywords
- Diagnosis
- Endemicity
- Malaria
- Zimbabwe
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Parasitology
- Immunology
Cite this
Trial of the ParaSight-F test for malaria diagnosis in the primary health care system, Zimbabwe. / Mharakurwa, S.; Manyame, B.; Shiff, Clive Julian.
In: Tropical Medicine and International Health, Vol. 2, No. 6, 1997, p. 544-550.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Trial of the ParaSight-F test for malaria diagnosis in the primary health care system, Zimbabwe
AU - Mharakurwa, S.
AU - Manyame, B.
AU - Shiff, Clive Julian
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Rapid diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains one of the main limitations to prompt treatment. Diagnosis based on clinical symptoms is decidedly unreliable, especially in areas of seasonal transmission like Zimbabwe. In view of this, the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein (HRP-II) antigen detection assay (ParaSight-F test) was tried at 10 health centres in 3 malaria endemicity zones of Zimbabwe, as a malaria diagnostic tool for primary health care. Parasitological evaluations were conducted using thick and thin film microscopy as gold standard, and ease of test operation and practicability to nurses were ascertained by questionnaire. The sensitivity of the test did not vary substantially by endemicity zone and was ≃93%. Specificities were 85, 72 and 92% in the hyperendemic, mesoendemic and hypoendemic zones, respectively. Positive predictive values varied considerably with endemicity, the lowest being in the hypoendemic zone (56%). However, negative predictive values did not change significantly, with a mean of 94%. It was found that the ParaSight-F test reduced mistreatment for malaria, relative to clinical diagnosis, by up to 81%, especially in the hypoendemic region. Test acceptability evaluations were good.
AB - Rapid diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains one of the main limitations to prompt treatment. Diagnosis based on clinical symptoms is decidedly unreliable, especially in areas of seasonal transmission like Zimbabwe. In view of this, the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein (HRP-II) antigen detection assay (ParaSight-F test) was tried at 10 health centres in 3 malaria endemicity zones of Zimbabwe, as a malaria diagnostic tool for primary health care. Parasitological evaluations were conducted using thick and thin film microscopy as gold standard, and ease of test operation and practicability to nurses were ascertained by questionnaire. The sensitivity of the test did not vary substantially by endemicity zone and was ≃93%. Specificities were 85, 72 and 92% in the hyperendemic, mesoendemic and hypoendemic zones, respectively. Positive predictive values varied considerably with endemicity, the lowest being in the hypoendemic zone (56%). However, negative predictive values did not change significantly, with a mean of 94%. It was found that the ParaSight-F test reduced mistreatment for malaria, relative to clinical diagnosis, by up to 81%, especially in the hypoendemic region. Test acceptability evaluations were good.
KW - Diagnosis
KW - Endemicity
KW - Malaria
KW - Zimbabwe
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030873375&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 9236821
AN - SCOPUS:0030873375
VL - 2
SP - 544
EP - 550
JO - Tropical Medicine and International Health
JF - Tropical Medicine and International Health
SN - 1360-2276
IS - 6
ER -