title: Evaluation of the NOW Malaria Immunochromatographic Test for Quantitative Diagnosis of Falciparum and Vivax Malaria Parasite Density.
abstract: The NOW® Malaria Test, an immunochromatographic test (ICT), was evaluated to determine its ability to quantitatively detect malaria parasites using 100 blood samples from Thailand, including 50 Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infections and 50 P. vivax (Pv) infections. Intensities of the thickness of the visible bands of the positive ICT were compared with the parasite densities. In cases of Pf infection, the intensities of both HRP-2 bands (T1 bands: Pf specific bands) and aldolase bands (T2 bands: pan-Plasmodium bands) correlated with the parasite densities. The intensities of T2 bands in Pf positive samples showed better correlation with the parasite densities than the T1 bands. In the cases of Pv infection, the intensities of T2 bands were also well correlated with parasite density. These results suggest that the ICT is useful not only for rapid detection of malaria parasites but also for estimating parasite density.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine and Malaria, Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katakai
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komaki-Yasuda
authors.forename: Noppadon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tangpukdee
authors.forename: Polrat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilairatana
authors.forename: Srivicha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krudsood
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kano