Molecular Diagnosis of Malaria Parasites Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) As A Confirmatory Technique

Abstract

Confirmation studies of malaria parasites using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test was carried out at DNA Labs. Fifteen samples were collected from patients attending Fomwan Hospital Badarawa, Kaduna with symptoms of malaria fever as confirmed using microscopy test. Only four samples were positive for Plasmodium falciparum. The other samples were positive for other Plasmodium species. The fever symptoms of some of the patients could be due to other diseases caused by viral or bacterial organisms such as West Nile Fever, the Flue etc. Contamination is also a possible cause for false or negative result, which could happen in three ways: blood sample collection, blood sample preservation, and DNA extraction process. Delay in DNA extraction after blood collection could lead to changes in parasite morphology, which could alter the results. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for detecting malaria parasite is an expensive but accurate method to detect low levels parastimia, and has a threshold of detecting 5 parasite/µl, and species specific diagnosis.