Diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria using ParaSight F®, ICT malaria PF® and Malaria IgG CELISA® assays

A battery of sixty-six blood samples from Senegal was analysed by the ParaSight F(R) test, the ICT Malaria PF(R) and the Malaria IgG CELISA(R). These three assays detect the histidine rich protein 2 antigen of Plasmodium falciparum. Thick smear microscopy was used as the reference method. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive and negative values were respectively 89 %, 100 %, 100 %, 88 % for the ICT; 86 %, 93 %, 94 %, 85 % for the paraSight and 88 %, 87 %, 88 %, 87 % for the Malaria IgG CELISA. The three essays failed to detect two positive samples with P. ovale and P, malariae. Assays were also compared with regard to the expense of equipment and reagents and speed and ease of use. The rapid ICT and ParaSight F test can be performed with minimal training and may be specially useful in areas where P. falciparum is the predominant malaria species, in epidemic malaria regions, and where skilled microscopy is not readily available.