Oct 15, 2021
Results from a large study in Ethiopia showed that P. falciparum malaria parasites have mutated and have the worrisome ability to avoid being detected by the widely utilized RDTs.
Transcript
Controlling malaria requires an effective ‘test and treat’ strategy. Traditionally, the most utilized test in Africa is the rapid diagnostic test (RDT), which detects histidine-rich protein 2, a protein made by P. falciparum malaria parasites. Although histidine-rich protein is abundant in human blood during malaria infection and an excellent target for testing - it’s been reported since 2010 that mutations in the parasite have resulted in the deletion of the gene encoding this protein, enabling those parasites to avoid detection by RDTs.In a large study of nearly 13,000 participants conducted in Ethiopia results from RDTs were cross-referenced with those from more reliable methods of diagnosis. Researchers found that RDTs would miss an estimated 9.7% of cases owing to the deletion of this protein, significantly higher than the WHO’s 5% threshold for test regime change.
Source
Plasmodium falciparum is evolving to escape malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Ethiopia
About The Podcast
The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.