Research Article

Assessment of Clinical Diagnosis, Microscopy, Rapid Diagnostic Tests, and Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum in Nigeria

Table 3

Stratification by parasite density in thick blood smear and correlation with rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and stevor PCR.

Parasite count range

01–100101–1000>1000
No. observed109108117
Mean parasite count/µL (range)091 (41.6–100)408 (110–948)8,101 (1,050–81,600)
No. positive for clinical 109 (100%)10 (100%)81 (100%)17 (100%)
No. negative for clinical0000
No. positive for RDT22 (20.2%)2 (20.0%)47 (58.0%)12 (70.6%)
No. negative for RDT87 (79.8%)8 (80.0%)34 (42.0%)4 (23.5%)
No. positive for PCR29 (26.6%)8 (80.0%)73 (90.1%)13 (76.5)

No. negative for PCR80 (73.4%)2 (20.0)8 (9.9%)4 (25.5%)