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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1999, p. 721-723, Vol. 37, No. 3
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Dipstick Tests for Rapid Diagnosis of Malaria in Nonimmune Travelers

T. Jelinek,1,* M. P. Grobusch,2 S. Schwenke,2 S. Steidl,1 F. von Sonnenburg,1 H. D. Nothdurft,1 E. Klein,2 and T. Löscher1

Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University of Munich, Munich,1 and Medical Clinic (Infectious Diseases), Charité/Campus Virchow Hospital, Humboldt University, Berlin,2 Germany

Received 13 July 1998/Returned for modification 28 September 1998/Accepted 17 November 1998

Swift diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in areas where the disease is not endemic is frequently complicated by the lack of experience on the side of involved laboratory personal. Diagnostic tools based on the dipstick principle for the detection of plasmodial histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP-2) and parasite-specific lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH), respectively, have become available for the qualitative detection of P. falciparum malaria. In order to evaluate two of the currently available assays, specimens from 231 patients were screened during a prospective multicenter study. Among the screened specimens, samples from 53 patients (22.9%) were positive for P. falciparum malaria by microscopy and/or PCR. While the test kit based on the detection of HRP-2 performed with a sensitivity of 92.5% and a specificity of 98.3%, the kit for the detection of pLDH showed a sensitivity of 88.5% and a specificity of 99.4%. Dipstick tests have the potential of enhancing speed and accuracy of the diagnosis of P. falciparum malaria, especially if nonspecialized laboratories are involved.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University of Munich, Leopoldstr. 5, 80802 Munich, Germany. Phone: (49)-89-2180-3517. Fax: (49)-89-33-61-12. E-mail: jelinek{at}lrz.uni-muenchen.de.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1999, p. 721-723, Vol. 37, No. 3
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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