Abstract:
Laboratory confirmation of malaria infection requires the availability of rapid, sensitive and specific test at an affordable cost. Conventional methods of laboratory diagnosis for malaria use the microscopic examination of Giemsa and Leishman stained blood films, which require technical expertise and availability of a good quality microscope (binocular with in-built illumination) which is time consuming and of limited sensitivity in the detection of low parasitaemias. It is in view of the above that this work was conducted to compare the Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) with conventional microscopic method. A comparative study of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) with conventional microscopic method was carried out among symptomatic out-patients in General Hospital Kachia, Gwamna Awan and Sabon Gari-Zaria respectively. Giemsa-stained thick film was used for the microscopy, while the Standard Diagnostic (SD) kit was used for the Rapid Diagnostic Test. A Total of 300 blood samples were collected from the study area (Kaduna State) which was divided into 3 zones: Southern, Central and Northern senatorial zones. One hundred (100) blood samples were collected from each zone. Using the thick film technique, the prevalence rate of 44%, 31% and 41% were recorded for the Southern, Central and Northern Senatorial zones respectively, while a total prevalence of 39% was observed for Kaduna State as a whole. On the other hand, the RDT (SD) had a malaria prevalence rate of 4&%, 34% and 40% for Southern, Central and Northern Senatorial zones respectively with a total malaria prevalence of 40% for the whole state. Hence, there was no statistical significant difference between the microscopy technique and the RDT (SD) technique (P = 0.023). The sensitivity as well as the specificity was 97% and 98% respectively for the RDT (SD) method. This confirmed the RDT (SD) technique to be valid, reliable and accurate technique when compared to microscopy which is regarded as the gold standard for the detection of malaria parasites to be used.
