Prevalence of false negative parasight f test compared with microscopy technique in malaria diagnosis, as seen in Benin City; Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: This study determined the prevalence of false negative Plasmodium falciparum paraSight F (Histidine rich protein 2) enzymatic test in patients who attended the Outpatient and Emergency departments of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Benin City, Nigeria.

Patient and Method: This was a prospective study involving 8,824 patients aged 6 months to 85 years with clinical features suggestive of malaria who attended the outpatient and emergency departments of UBTH, from June 2006 to May 2014.

Result: During the study period of eight years, a total of 8,824 patients were seen, with mean age of 47.2 -+ 6.8 years. There were 3,921 males, and 4,903 females giving a male to female ratio of 1:1.2 under five years' constituted 5,383 (61%); 2, 112 (23.9%) were paraSight F false negative, out of this, under five years made up 1,377 (65.2%). Infection with Plasmodium ovale was 269 (3.1%) while Plasmodium malariae was 157 (1.8%).

Conclusion: This study showed that microscopic technique for malaria parasite detection is and remains the gold standard, with other auxiliary test recommended as screening test.