DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i11.073

Pages: 4568-4576

This study has been designed and under taken to determine the prevalence of malaria parasites among patients attending some selected Health Institutions in Kaduna state, Nigeria and assess the diagnostic performance of a rapid diagnostic test (RDT). A total 300 patients whose ages ranged from < 10 - > 60 years were investigated. Two point five milli litres of venous blood were collected from the ante-cubical vein into 0.04ml ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) bottle. Laboratory analysis was conducted under standardized conditions using microscopy and Rapid diagnostic Test (RDT). Out of the 300 patients examined, 76 (25.3%) were parasitaemic by microscopy with an average parasite density of 240/µl of blood. The rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) detected antigenaemia in 81 (27%) patients. The prevalence of the infection was not significantly associated with some of the socio-economic and demographic factors considered. On the other hand, 70 (23.3%) patients were positive by both RDT and microscopy (True positives) while 213 (71%) were negative by both methods (True negatives). The result also showed that 11 were negative by microscopy but positive for RDT (False positives) whereas 6 were negative by RDT but positive by microscopy (False negatives). There was statistically significant agreement between the two diagnostic methods (k = 0.853; p < 0.001). In this study, we demonstrate that RDT (SD BIO LINE) kit is reliable, rapid, easy to use and simple to interpret. The RDT is a valuable tool to complement microscopy in places where experienced laboratorians are lacking and facilities for microscopy are poor. In line with this, we concur to earlier recommendations for the use of the RDT kit in the management of febrile patients in malaria endemic regions and for epidemiological studies.