A comparison of thick smears, QBC Malaria, PCR and PATH Falciparum Malaria(R) test trip in Plasmodium falciparum diagnosis

Blood samples from 182 patients presenting at the out-patient clinic in Ric hard-Toll, Senegal were analysed by Thick smear microscopy, the QBC, PCR an d the new dipstick PATH Malaria(R) assay which detects the histidine rich p rotein II antigen of Plasmodium falciparum. Thick smear microscopy was used as the reference method. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive and negative values were 100 %, 83.6 %, 93.4 % and 100 % far QBC respectively; 100 %, 72.7 %, 89.4 % and 100 % for PCR; 96 %, 92.7 %, 96.8 % and 91 % for the PATH essay. PATH assa y failed to detect one positive sample with Plasmodium malariae. Assays wer e also compared with regard to the expense of equipment and reagents and sp eed and ease of use. The rapid PATH assay can be performed with minimal tra ining and may be specialty useful in areas where P. falciparum is the predo minant malaria species, in epidemic malaria regions, and where skilled micr oscopy is not readily available.