New Diagnostic Test for Malaria

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REEAD Malaria Diagnostics

The high sensitivity is achieved by performing the REEAD technology within droplets surrounded by oil. The malaria parasites are distributed in the pico-litre droplet, where they react effectively with the other components of the REEAD technology (Source: Sissel Juul and Birgitta Knudsen).

A new diagnostic test could revolutionize the treatment of malaria, one of the world’s most persistent and deadly diseases, making it possible to diagnose the illness from a single drop of blood or saliva.

The test, developed by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, detects very low levels of an enzyme produced by the Plasmodium parasite, the organism that causes malaria. This could allow intervention before an outbreak develops, researchers say. [Read more…]

Malaria: When is Lab Testing Not Recommended

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QUESTION

When is parasitological confirmation not recommended?

ANSWER

It is always best to get a laboratory or rapid diagnostic test for malaria (parasitological confirmation) to make sure the person actually has malaria before giving treatment, and to make sure the treatment is appropriate. 

There are four main types of malaria which infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale. P. ovale additionally can be split into two  sub-species, P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri. Each of these five kinds has a subtly different life cycle which results in slight variations in symptoms and also in treatment, so knowing which one a person has is important for choosing the most appropriate treatment.  For more information on this, check out the Q&As on Malaria Symptoms and malaria treatment.

Early treatment of malaria is essential to saving lives, so in communities that do not have ready access to simple lab testing, international agencies like WHO and UNICEF have developed standardized algorithms, to guide community health workers in early identification and treatment of malaria (particularly in children) without laboratory  confirmation. While this approach has been taken to save lives, where possible, laboratory confirmation of malaria is recommended.

Comparison of Molecular Tests for the Diagnosis of Malaria in Honduras

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Honduras is a tropical country with more than 70% of its population living at risk of being infected with either Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium falciparum. Laboratory diagnosis is a very important factor for adequate treatment and management of malaria. In Honduras, malaria is diagnosed by both, microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests and to date, no molecular methods have been implemented for routine diagnosis. However, since mixed infections, and asymptomatic and low-parasitaemic cases are difficult to detect by light microscopy alone, identifying appropriate molecular tools for diagnostic applications in Honduras deserves further study. The present study investigated the utility of different molecular tests for the diagnosis of malaria in Honduras. [Read more…]

What is the malaria antigen test?

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QUESTION:

How does the malaria antigen test work? After how many days presence of malaria can antigens be detected in the blood ? Is it posible to detect antigens on the first day of fever ?

ANSWER:

The malaria antigen test works by detecting antigens in the blood which are released by the parasite. The antigens are usually LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) or HRP2 (Histidine-rich protein 2). If the test is in RDT (rapid diagnostic test) format, there is an antibody against one of the parasite antigens stuck onto the test strip. A tiny drop of blood (usually from a fingerprick) is placed in a well at one end of the test, and covered with a test buffer solution; as the patient’s blood migrates up the test strip, the parasite antigen will be captured by this antibody. The parasite antigen is then bound by another antibody which is coupled to colloidal gold, which will show up as a positive band on the test.

Detection of the malaria antigen in the blood depends on the sensitivity of the test and the parasitaemia (number of parasites) in the blood. If the parasitaemia is high enough it should be possible to detect antigen on the first day of fever.

Mobile App for Diagnosing Malaria

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Focusing on the millions of people at risk from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world, Lifelens is a project that has created a smartphone app to diagnose the insidious, mosquito-borne disease. The most prevalent diagnostic tool is the rapid diagnostic test RDT, which is known to be associated with a 60 percent incidence rate of false positive results. That, in turn, results in the treatment of many people who don’t actually have Malaria, driving up the costs of anti-Malaria treatment significantly. The Lifelens project aims to make the process both cheaper and more accurate by analyzing blood digitally instead. [Read more…]

Malaria Self-Diagnosis

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QUESTION:

I live in Nigeria and was wondering if there are ways to find out if I malaria without going to the doctor or a hospital?

ANSWER:

The current “gold-standard” for malaria diagnosis, at least of active infections, is through microscropy, where a trained technician looks at a droplet of your blood on a slide, and sees if any of your red blood cells are infected with the malaria parasite. Given the expertise required for this procedure, it is usually only available through a doctor or in a hospital setting. Moreover, this technique is not reliable for very low numbers of parasites, though most active malaria infections will be positively diagnosed.

However, in the last ten years, there has been a rise in the availability and effectiveness of so-called rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria, which can be self-administered and so are able to be bought in a pharmacy and used at home. There are a wide variety of these tests, which work by using antibodies to detect the antigens produced by the malaria parasites. As such, the tests seem to be able to detect even low levels of parasitaemia, and in some cases can even tell you which kind of malaria you have. The tests usually come with all necessary materials, which include a lancet for pricking the fingertip for a drop of blood, although you should always check that everything is within the packaging (I have bought tests in Uganda which came without the buffer solution; this had to be purchased separately in this case). The WHO maintains a list of currently available RDTs (PDF).

Make sure the test you purchase is suitable for the type of malaria that is found in your region; many only test for P. falciparum, for example, which might not be appropriate for a region with high levels of P. vivax or other species.

The 2011 Malaria Diagnostics Market: Report

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Research and Markets has announced the availability of a new report, that presents a detailed analysis of the Malaria diagnostics market in the US, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) and Japan. Current scientific views on the Malaria definition, epidemiology and etiology are also reviewed. The report is entitled “The 2011 Malaria Diagnostics Market: US, Europe, JapanTest Volume and Sales Forecasts by Country.”
[Read more…]