Performance of “VIKIA Malaria Ag Pf/Pan” (IMACCESS®), a new malaria rapid diagnostic test for detection of symptomatic malaria infections

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Chou Monidarin, Kim Saorin, Khim Nimol, Chy Sophy, Sum Sarorn, Dourng Dany, Canier Lydie, Nguon Chea, Ménard Didier
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2012
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-295; https://doaj.org/article/01d7990e2b5c4a2e9253dfd5a6de3ac2

Abstract Background Recently, IMACCESS ® developed a new malaria test (VIKIA Malaria Ag Pf/Pan™), based on the detection of falciparum malaria (HRP-2) and non-falciparum malaria (aldolase). Methods The performance of this new malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) was assessed using 1,000 febrile patients seeking malaria treatment in four health centres in Cambodia from August to December 2011. The results of the VIKIA Malaria Ag Pf/Pan were compared with those obtained by microscopy, the CareStart Malaria™ RDT (AccessBio®) which is currently used in Cambodia, and real-time PCR (as “gold standard”). Results The best performances of the VIKIA Malaria Ag Pf/Pan™ test for detection of both Plasmodium falciparum and non- P. falciparum were with 20–30 min reading times (sensitivity of 93.4% for P. falciparum and 82.8% for non- P. falciparum and specificity of 98.6% for P. falciparum and 98.9% for non- P. falciparum ) and were similar to those for the CareStart Malaria™ test. Conclusions This new RDT performs similarly well as other commercially available tests (especially the CareStart Malaria™ test, used as comparator), and conforms to the World Health Organization’s recommendations for RDT performance. It is a good alternative tool for the diagnosis of malaria in endemic areas.