Performance of a rapid antigen test for the diagnosis of congenital malaria.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the performance of OptiMAL, a rapid malaria antigen capture dipstick, in diagnosing congenital malaria.


METHODS
Live newborns aged 0-3 days, delivered at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria between August 2004 and January 2005, were screened for malaria parasitaemia with an immunochromatographic test (OptiMAL) and blood film microscopy. OptiMAL detects plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH).


RESULTS
Twenty-one of 192 newborns (10.9%) were diagnosed with congenital malaria by blood film microscopy. The OptiMAL test was negative in all infants.


CONCLUSIONS
OptiMAL rapid malaria antigen capture dipstick might not be useful for diagnosing malaria parasitaemia in newborns. Blood film microscopy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of congenital malaria.
Department of Paediatrics, Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences/Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria. tounkysoti@yahoo.com
Sikirat A
SA
Sotimehin
Tamrat I
TI
Runsewe-Abiodun
Olufemi T
OT
Oladapo
Olisamedua F
OF
Njokanma
Duro M
DM
Olanrewaju
D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008288:Malaria / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis; D008853:Microscopy; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D011934:Reagent Strips; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D011934:Reagent Strips