El paludismo y las pruebas rápidas de diagnóstico

rapid tests for malaria diagnosis use basic principles of lateral flow immuno-chromatography to identify specific molecules secreted by the blood stages of malaria parasites. they are simple and rapid to execute without laboratory equipment, sensitive and friendly to use. the first generation identified plasmodium falciparum only. later on, those distinguishing between falciparum malaria and non-falciparum malaria were developed. antigenic targets more commonly used have been the histidine rich protein 2 of p. falciparum and the aldolase and lactate dehydrogenase enzymes of plasmodium sp. those criticizing rapid tests for malaria diagnosis refer to poor sensitivity mainly with low-density parasitaemias, false positive, false negatives along with their inability to diagnose mixed infections, to recognize plasmodium vivax and to quantify the parasitaemias. the performance of the abovementioned tests in endemic areas, the evolution of their prototypes, their reliability in the improvement of diagnosis, cost/benefit relation and potential problems with the interpretation of the tests after anti-malarial treatment are discussed in this review. successful application of malaria rapid diagnosis tests in endemic areas should focus on the evaluation of current and new devices in local settings and on the promotion and enhancement of training in technical skills for health workers in endemic countries.