Accuracy of malaria diagnosis by microscopy, rapid diagnostic test, and PCR methods and evidence of antimalarial overprescription in non-severe... (Publications)
The study was aimed to evaluate the malaria over/underdiagnosis and over/underprescription of antimalarial drugs. Between February and March 2007 blood samples were collected from 336 non-severe febrile [...] Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (INMI), Rome, Italy. As a result of PCR, we identified 26 malaria cases out of 336 (7.7%) patients. Microscopy and RDT accuracies were 93.5% and 97.6%, respectively [...] were 29.3% and 30.8%, respectively. On-field training, clinical management of...
Comparison of the Paracheck-Pf test with microscopy, for the confirmation of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> malaria in Tanzania (Publications)
Tanzania, four of which experience frequent malaria outbreaks. The aim was to verify whether Paracheck-Pf could be a reliable tool for the confirmation of malaria outbreaks in such areas. The overall measurements [...] detection of malaria outbreaks. The cost of the assay (U.S.$0.62/test at the time of the present study) is sufficiently low that its routine use in the confirmation of P. falciparum malaria might also be [...] positive predictive value of 88.9%, and a negative predictive value of...
Indoors man-biting mosquitoes and their implication on malaria transmission in Mpwapwa and Iringa Districts, Tanzania (Publications)
the two districts was infected with malaria sporozoites. Despite low mosquito densities and absence of infective mosquitoes in our study, the two districts are malaria epidemic prone, thus a continuous [...] outbreak. Further longitudinal studies are required to determine the transmission potential of the malaria mosquitoes in the two districts
Quality assurance of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria in routine patient care in rural Tanzania (Publications)
Histidine-rich protein II (HRP2)-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have shown high sensitivity and specificity for detecting Plasmodium falciparum malaria in a variety of study settings. However [...] their use in field settings. We evaluated sensitivity and specificity of RDTs during routine use for malaria case management in peripheral health facilities. From December 2007 to October 2008, HRP2-based ParaHIT-f [...] thick blood smear. Job aids, Integrated Management of Childhood...
Health workers' use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to guide clinical decision making in rural dispensaries, Tanzania (Publications)
alternative to microscopy for malaria diagnosis. The RDTs detect malaria parasite antigen(s) in whole blood with high sensitivity and specificity. We assessed health worker malaria treatment practices after [...] received training on how to perform RDTs for patients 5 years of age or older with fever or suspected malaria. Children < 5 years of age were to be treated empirically per national guidelines. Among the 30,195 [...] 195 patients seen at these 12 health facilities, 10,737 (35.6%) were...
