TABLE 2.
Parasite levels and detection of malaria by OptiMAL test and microscopy of blood smears
| No. of parasites/μl | Species | No. of positive malaria cases
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood smears | OptiMAL (%a) | ||
| <50 | P. falciparum | 12 | 4 (33) |
| P. vivax | 11 | 5 (45) | |
| 50–100 | P. falciparum | 10 | 8 (80) |
| P. vivax | 28 | 19 (68) | |
| 100–200 | P. falciparum | 9 | 9 |
| P. vivax | 20 | 21b | |
| 200–300 | P. falciparum | 3 | 3 |
| P. vivax | 17 | 18b | |
| >300 | P. falciparum | 2 | 1 (50) |
| P. vivax | 8 | 7 (88) | |
a
Sensitivity relative to microscopy of Giemsa-stained blood smears.
b
The two false-positive cases detected by the OptiMAL test were negative by both microscopy and PCR.