HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by de Oliveira, A. M. Articles by Hamel, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by de Oliveira, A. M. Articles by Hamel, M.

Performance of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests as Part of Routine Malaria Case Management in Kenya

Data on malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) performance under routine program conditions are limited. We assessed the attributes of RDTs performed by study and health facility (HF) staffs as part of routine malaria case management of patients 5 years of age in Kenya. Expert microscopy was used as our gold standard. A total of 1,827 patients were enrolled; 191 (11.6%) were parasitemic by expert microscopy. Sensitivity and specificity of RDTs performed by study staff were 86.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 79.8–93.5%) and 95.4% (95% CI: 93.9–96.9%), respectively. Among tests performed by HF staff, RDTs were 91.7% (95% CI: 80.8–100.0%) sensitive and 96.7% (95% CI: 92.8–100.0%) specific, whereas microscopy was 52.5% (95% CI: 33.2–71.9%) sensitive and 77.0% (95% CI: 67.9–86.2%) specific. Our findings suggest that RDTs perform better than microscopy under routine conditions. Further efforts are needed to maintain this high RDT performance over time.

Received August 5, 2008. Accepted for publication December 4, 2008.

Acknowledgments: We thank the patients who participated in this study and the field staff who collected the data. We also acknowledge the acting director of KEMRI and John Vulule, Director of the Centre for Global Health Research, KEMRI for their support.

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

^* Address correspondence to Alexandre Macedo de Oliveira, Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, MS F-22, Atlanta, GA 30341. E-mail: acq7{at}cdc.gov

Authors’ addresses: Alexandre Macedo de Oliveira, Jacek Skarbinski, John W. Barnwell, and Laurence Slutsker, Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, MS F-22, Atlanta, GA 30341, Tel: +1-770-488-7747, Fax: +1-770-488-7761. Peter O. Ouma, Simon Kariuki, Kephas Otieno, Philip Onyona, Kayla F. Laserson, and Mary Hamel, Kenya Medical Research Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, P.O. Box 1578, Kisumu, Kenya, Tel: +254-57-202-2902, Fax: +254-57-202-2981. Louise M. Causer, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of New South Wales, Level 2, 376 Victoria St, Darlinghurst 2010 NSW, Australia. Willis S. Akhwale, Division of Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 19882-00202, Nairobi, Kenya, Tel: +254-020-272-7396, Fax: +254-020-271-6935.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Khatoon, F. N. Baliraine, M. Bonizzoni, S. A. Malik, and G. Yan Prevalence of Antimalarial Drug Resistance Mutations in Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum from a Malaria-Endemic Area of Pakistan Am J Trop Med Hyg, September 1, 2009; 81(3): 525 - 528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Skarbinski, P. O. Ouma, L. M. Causer, S. K. Kariuki, J. W. Barnwell, J. A. Alaii, A. M. de Oliveira, D. Zurovac, B. A. Larson, R. W. Snow, et al. Effect of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests on the Management of Uncomplicated Malaria with Artemether-Lumefantrine in Kenya: A Cluster Randomized Trial Am J Trop Med Hyg, June 1, 2009; 80(6): 919 - 926. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]