title: Evaluation of the performances of two rapid diagnostic tests (Cyscope®mini and Paracheck-Pf®) in the diagnosis of malaria among febrile children in southwest Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to test the diagnostic performances of Cyscope®mini and Paracheck-Pf® for Plasmodium falciparum relative to microscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  209 children aged 6 months to 12 years presenting with symptoms suggestive of malaria were enrolled at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, within a period of 6 months. Malaria parasites were identified in capillary blood samples using Cyscope®mini (parasite DNA-based fluorescence microscope) and Paracheck-Pf® (an HRP-II-based test) with microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick blood films as reference gold standard. The overall performances were calculated using OpenEpi version 2.3 statistical package. 209 samples were performed for Cyscope®mini and light microscopy while 140 samples were done by Paracheck-Pf®.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of malaria parasitaemia by light microscopy was 22.0% (46/209), while those of Cyscope®mini and Paracheck-Pf® were 85.2% (178/209) and 32.1% (45/140), respectively. Parasite density ranged from 40 to 203,883/µl. Cyscope®mini and Paracheck-Pf® had sensitivities of 91.3 and 86.21%, respectively. The respective specificities were 16.56 and 81.98% for Cyscope®mini and Paracheck-Pf® with diagnostic accuracies of 33.01 and 82.86%. The diagnostic performances of the two rapid diagnostic tests were significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paracheck-Pf® performed better than Cyscope®mini for diagnosis of falciparum malaria and will be a good diagnostic tool for field studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. ademowo_g@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Olawunmi R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Rabiu
authors.forename: Ayokulehin M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kosoko
authors.forename: Catherine O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Falade
authors.forename: Olusegun G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Ademowo
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000469:parasitology; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan