Prevalence and Intensity of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria and the Challenges of Microscopy and Rapid Test Diagnosis (RDT) Diagnostic methods in North- Western Nigeria | Chapter 11 | Current Trends in Disease and Health Vol. 1
Aims:
The study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence and intensity of Plasmodium
falciparum infection, in randomly selected areas of north-western Nigeria and
to evaluate the efficiency of microscopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in
detecting and determining intensity of P. falciparum infection.
Study
Design: The study was conducted in north
–western Nigeria, between April and August, 2013.
Methodology:
A total of one thousand four hundred and seventy (1,470) blood samples were
collected into EDTA sample bottles. Rapid one step malaria HRP2 Rapid test was
carried out and stained in Giemsa and
examined by thick and thin blood smears using microscope (X 40 objective )
(Cheesbrough, 2016).
Results:
A total of eight hundred and thirty four 834(56.5%) cases were positive
microscopically while two hundred and eighty seven 287(19.52%) were positive
with the RDT which showed high significance (P<0.05) in the efficiency of
the diagnostic methods. Low intensity (+) was higher in 542 (36.87%) and
different significantly within the states (P<0.05).The RDT showed high
specificity of 68.21% while a higher sensitivity of47.68% was observed from the
microscopy results which differed significantly (P<0.05) when the two
methods were compared.
Conclusion:
The results of the study established that P. falciparum malaria was endemic in
the region with a level of intensity. Microscopy was the most specific method
of falciparum malaria diagnosis.
Author(s) Details
M. H. Ruqayyah
Federal University Dutse,
Jigawa State, Nigeria.
I. H. Nock
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
I. S. Ndams
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Prof B. D. J. George
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
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