PCR Assay can Aid Malaria Diagnosis in Patients with Low Parasitemia

PCR Assay can Aid Malaria Diagnosis in Patients with Low Parasitemia
January 12, 2004 (Malaria Diagnostics)

A novel molecular assay can aid malaria diagnosis in patients with low parasite burdens.

"Light microscopy of thick and thin blood smears is the mainstay of malaria diagnosis," scientists in Australia explained. "In situations of low-level parasitemia such as drug-modified disease, however, this may be difficult making clinical management problematic."

"Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods have shown high sensitivity for the diagnosis of malaria and are able to differentiate the Plasmodium species involved," according to D.J. Speers and colleagues at the Western Australian Centre for Pathology and Medical Research.

"Two cases are presented in the present study, which illustrate how a PCR method can aid light microscopic malaria diagnosis and species differentiation in returned travellers with low-level parasitemia," they wrote.

"Plasmodium vivax was detected by PCR prior to the light microscopy becoming positive in one case, and in the second case Plasmodium malariae was detected when light microscopy was unable to speciate the causative Plasmodium species," the researchers concluded.

Speers and coauthors published their study in the Internal Medicine Journal (Diagnosis of malaria aided by polymerase chain reaction in two cases with low-level parasitaemia. Intern Med J, 2003;33(12):613-615).

For additional information, contact D.J. Speers, PathCentre, Locked Bag 2009, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Diagnostics, Infectious Disease, Medical Devices and Tropical Disease. This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.