Malaria antigen detection-whole blood
Four species of the plasmodium parasites are responsible for human malaria infections: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae. Early detection and differentiation of malaria is of paramount importance due to incidence of cerebral malaria and drug resistance associated with P. falciparum malaria causing most of the morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Test Utility
The current test is a qualitative test for detection of the P. falciparum specific histidine rich protein-2 (Pf. HRP-2) and P. vivax specific lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) in whole blood samples. The assay is able to detect and distinguish P. vivax and P. falciparum infections and also identify mixed infections.
Notes & Limitations
The test detects P. falciparum specific HRP-2 and P. vivax specific LDH, a negative test result does not rule out infection with P. ovale and P. malariae. Constant exposure to the malarial parasites, as seen in areas of high endemicity, may result in positive results with doubtful clinical significance. Hence, the results must always be correlated with clinical history and relevant epidemiological and therapeutic context.