DETERMINATION OF SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF THREE RAPID DIAGNOSTIC MALARIA TEST KITS AND THE APPLICATION OF MOSQUITO BODY REPELLANT TO THE PREVALENCE OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM AMONG PATIENTS IN KADUNA STATE

Abstract

Cross sectional study in the determination of the sensitivity and specificity of three selected rapid diagnostic malaria test kits and the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum of malaria patients from selected hospitals in Kaduna State was undertaken. The microscopic diagnostic test was used to examine the 50 patients’ blood taken from the selected hospitals in Kaduna metropolis by venipuncture and preserved in ETDA bottles before the three malaria rapid diagnostic test kit were later used. In addition, clinical studies were conducted in which blood samples were randomly collected from out-patients at various hospitals located within the three Senatorial districts of Kaduna State. These samples underwent examination for the presence of Plasmodium falciparum, a parasite known for causing malaria. The study involved collecting blood samples from a total of 1,918 patients who were receiving treatment at the General Out Patient Department of the selected hospitals across the districts.Two-way ANOVA revealed no statistical difference among the three rapid diagnostic kits tested used to determine sensitivity and specificity of Plasmodium falciparum. Test kit with highest sensitivity and specificity was Microscopic diagnostic method in diagnosing the Plasmodium falciparum infection than other diagnostic tests kits. The use of mosquito body repellants recorded the following user rate values of 14.4%, 4.5% and 11.6% in Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Kaduna Central districts respectively.  The differences in P. falciparum prevalence with regards to the usage of mosquito body repellant was not statistically significant (P>0.05) in the three Senatorial districts of Kaduna State. Microscopic diagnostic test gives higher sensitivity and specificity to plasmodium parasite infection than rapid diagnostic test.

Keyword: Plasmodium falciparum, Rapid diagnostic malaria kits, Mosquito body repellant, Hospital, Kaduna State.