Comparison of prevalence estimates of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions in Plasmodium falciparum determined by conventional PCR and multiplex qPCR and implications for surveillance and monitoring

The emergence of mutant Plasmodium falciparum parasites with pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions poses a major threat to the utility of histidine rich protein-2 (HRP2)-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), the mainstay diagnostic tool for detecting falciparum malaria in resource-limited settings. These gene-deleted parasites do not express HRP2/3 and are therefore undetectable by HRP2-based RDTs leading to false-negative results. Mutant parasites have now been reported from 40 of the 47 countries where investigations have been conducted [1].
Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research