Performance of a rapid antigen test for the diagnosis of congenital malaria

Abstract Objective: To assess the performance of OptiMAL®, a rapid malaria antigen capture dipstick, in diagnosing congenital malaria. Methods: Live newborns aged 0–3 days, delivered at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria between August 2004 and January 2005, were screened for malaria parasitaemia with an immunochromatographic test (OptiMAL®) and blood film microscopy. OptiMAL® detects plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH). Results: Twenty-one of 192 newborns (10.9%) were diagnosed with congenital malaria by blood film microscopy. The OptiMAL® test was negative in all infants. Conclusion: OptiMAL® rapid malaria antigen capture dipstick might not be useful for diagnosing malaria parasitaemia in newborns. Blood film microscopy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of congenital malaria.

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