Evidence of non-Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in Kédougou, Sénégal.

Background Expanded malaria control efforts in Senegal have resulted in increased use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) to identify the primary disease-causing Plasmodium species, Plasmodium falciparum. However, the type of RDT utilized in Senegal does not detect other malaria-causing species such as Plasmodium ovale spp., Plasmodium malariae, or Plasmodium vivax. Consequently, there is a lack of information about the frequency and types of malaria infections occurring in Senegal. This study set out to better determine whether species other than P. falciparum were evident among patients evaluated for possible malaria infection in Kedougou, Senegal.