Table 2.
Studies comparing HRP-2 performance between areas of different P. falciparum endemicity, using microscopy as a "gold standard".
| Reference | Setting | Prevalence of positive blood smears in the study population (level of malaria transmission as reported by the author) | Sensitivity | Specificity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mharakurwa [24] | Zimbabwe | 10% (hypoendemic) | 91% | 92% |
| 40% (hyperendemic) | 95% | 85% | ||
| 59% (mesoendemic) | 93% | 72% | ||
| Hopkins [17] | Uganda | 4% (hypoendemic) | na | 98% |
| 33 to 85% (hyperendemic) | na | 55% | ||
| Mboera [14] | Tanzania | 4% (unstable, prone to outbreaks) | 92% | 99% |
| 14% (unstable, prone to outbreaks) | 97% | 97% | ||
| 22% (unstable, prone to outbreaks) | 84% | 91% | ||
| 49% (unstable, prone to outbreaks) | 98% | 90% | ||
| 46% (perennial) | 81% | 95% | ||
| Abeku [25] | Tanzania | 1% (hypoendemic) | 90% | 100% |
| 49% (mesoendemic) | 91% | 65% | ||
na = not applicable
Note: The studies examined different volumes of blood before declaring a slide negative: studies [26,12] examined 100 fields and study [9] 200 fields before declaring a slide negative; study [22] declared slides negative if no parasite was seen by the time 400 white blood cells counted.