title: Evaluation of Malaria Diagnoses Using a Handheld Light Microscope in a Community-Based Setting in Rural Côte d'Ivoire.
abstract: Portable microscopy may facilitate quality diagnostic care in resource-constrained settings. We compared a handheld light microscope (Newton Nm1) with a mobile phone attachment to conventional light microscopy for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum in a cross-sectional study in rural Côte d'Ivoire. Single Giemsa-stained thick blood film from 223 individuals were prepared and read by local laboratory technicians on both microscopes under 1,000× magnification with oil. Of the 223 samples, 162 (72.6%) were P. falciparum positive, and the overall mean parasite count was 1,392/μL of blood. Sensitivity and specificity of the handheld microscope was 80.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 73.1-85.9%) and 100.0% (95% CI: 92.6-100.0%), respectively, with a positive and negative predictive value of 100.0% (95% CI: 96.4-100.0%) and 65.6% (95% CI: 54.9-74.9%), respectively. If sensitivity can be improved, handheld light microscopy may become a valuable public health tool for P. falciparum diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Formation et de Recherche Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Coulibaly
authors.affiliation: Unité de Formation et de Recherche Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Mamadou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ouattara
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keiser
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bassirou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonfoh
authors.affiliation: Unité de Formation et de Recherche Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Eliézer K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: N'Goran
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Jason R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Division of Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. isaac.bogoch@uhn.ca.
authors.forename: Isaac I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Bogoch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018512:Parasitemia; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012424:Rural Population; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult