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About the Authors:
Dionicia Gamboa
Affiliations Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, Departamento de Bioquimica, Biologia Molecular y Farmacologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Mei-Fong Ho
Affiliations Clinical Tropical Medicine, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Drug Resistance and Diagnostics, Australian Army Malaria Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Jorge Bendezu
Affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Katherine Torres
Affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Peter L. Chiodini
Affiliation: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom
John W. Barnwell
Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Sandra Incardona
Affiliation: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
Mark Perkins
Affiliation: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
David Bell
Affiliations Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization - Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
James McCarthy
Affiliations Clinical Tropical Medicine, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Qin Cheng
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliations Drug Resistance and Diagnostics, Australian Army Malaria Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Malaria Drug Resistance and Chemotherapy, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Introduction
Despite several decades of control efforts malaria remains a major infectious disease, causing at least 250 million infections and nearly 1 million deaths per year [1]. The recent significant reductions in prevalence documented in some settings [1] through effective use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT), insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying has given cause for optimism and placed malaria eradication back on the global health agenda. The ability to accurately and rapidly diagnose malaria infection in different settings is essential to the success of malaria control and elimination [2]. Accurate diagnosis facilitates appropriate and prompt treatment of febrile illness, reduces drug misuse, and minimises the risk of the development of drug resistance.
Microscopic examination of blood smears has been the traditional method for detecting malaria parasites. The accuracy of microscopy largely relies on the experience and training of the microscopists and the quality of smears. Unfortunately, the quality of microscopy varies significantly, and is often unreliable....