title: Evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria in Swedish travellers.
abstract: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria have become valuable tools for the diagnosis of malaria in both endemic and non-endemic areas. During a 7-year period, first the MalaQuick rapid test and then the NOW Malaria test, were evaluated by well-trained laboratory technicians in a university hospital laboratory of parasitology. A total of 635 blood samples were selected from 4731 blood specimens obtained from travellers at the emergency department, at wards and at out-patient clinics. The samples were analysed by microscopy and RDT. Malaria parasites were detected in the blood films of 134 (21%) samples. The sensitivity of the RDT for Plasmodium falciparum was 97.7% (84 of 86 samples) with a negative predictive value of 99.6%. The two false-negative results were associated with low levels of parasitaemia. For non-falciparum species the sensitivity was only 58.3% (28 of 48 samples). Based on the excellent ability of the RDTs to detect P. falciparum infections, we recommend the use of the NOW Malaria test as a complement to microscopy in the laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Ulf.Bronner@karolinska.se
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bronner
authors.forename: Lillemor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Evengård
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013548:Sweden; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase