A comparison of thick-film microscopy, rapid diagnostic test, and polymerase chain reaction for accurate diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Background Accurate diagnosis of malaria is important for effective disease management and control. In Cameroon, presumptive clinical diagnosis, thick-film microscopy (TFM), and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) are commonly used to diagnose cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, these methods lack sensitivity to detect low parasitaemia. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), on the other hand, enhances the detection of sub-microscopic parasitaemia making it a much-needed tool for epidemiological surveys, mass screening, and the assessment of interventions for malaria elimination. Therefore, this study sought to determine the frequency of cases missed by traditional methods that are detected by PCR.