RAPID DIAGNOSTIC DEVICES FOR MALARIA: FIELD EVALUATION OF A NEW PROTOTYPE IMMUNOCHROMATOGRAPHIC ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF

is a new malaria rapid diagnostic device that represents a technical advance over previous assays, such as ICT ™ Malaria P.f./P.v. and ICT™ Malaria P.f.. We evaluated this device in March 2001 in symptomatic patients at malaria clinics in Maesod, Thailand. Microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears was the reference standard. In 246 patients, microscopy showed 32 (13.0%) infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 63 (25.6%) with P. vivax, 6 (2.4%) with mixed infections of P. falciparum and P. vivax, 5 (2.0%) with P. malariae, and 140 (56.9%) negative. Sensitivity for P. falciparum was 100% and specificity was 96.2 % (200 of 208; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 92–98). For P. vivax, sensitivity was 87.3 % (55 of 63; 95 % CI 77–93) and specificity was 97.7 % (173 of 177; 95 % CI 95–99), but all the four false-positive results were microscopically positive for P. malariae; thus, specificity for non-falciparum Plasmodium was 100%. These results suggest improved performance over NOW ICT predecessors