High proportion of mixed-species Plasmodium infections in India revealed by PCR diagnostic assay

• Published in: Tropical medicine & international health Vol. 15; no. 7; pp. 819 - 824
• Main Authors: Gupta, Bhavna, Gupta, Purva, Sharma, Arun, Singh, Vineeta, Dash, Aditya P, Das, Aparup
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-07-2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; diagnostic de la malaria; diagnóstico de malaria; DNA, Protozoan - genetics; Endemic Diseases; General aspects; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Inde; India; India - epidemiology; infecciones mixtas; infections mixtes; Infectious diseases; Malaria; malaria diagnosis; Malaria, Falciparum - complications; Malaria, Falciparum - diagnosis; Malaria, Falciparum - epidemiology; Malaria, Vivax - complications; Malaria, Vivax - diagnosis; Malaria, Vivax - epidemiology; Medical diagnosis; Medical sciences; microscopie; microscopy; microscopía; mixed infection; mixed infections; Molecular Sequence Data; Parasitic diseases; PCR; PCR assay; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - genetics; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium vivax - genetics; Polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Protozoal diseases; Sequence Alignment; India; Asia; PCR assay; Protozoal disease; Mixed infection; Malaria; malaria diagnosis; Parasitosis; India; Infection; Polymerase chain reaction; mixed infections; Microscopy; Tropical medicine; Diagnosis; Molecular biology
• ISSN: 1360-2276; 1365-3156
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02549.x

Accurate diagnosis is the key to effective treatment and control of malaria. We screened 180 microscopically diagnosed Indian malaria-positive blood samples for pure and mixed infections by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. An unusually high proportion of mixed infections was detected, signifying the sensitivity of PCR assay over traditional microscopic diagnosis.