Malaria Detection by Third-Harmonic Generation Image Scanning Cytometry (original) (raw)
Related papers
Sensitive Detection of Malaria Infection by Third Harmonic Generation Imaging
Biophysical Journal, 2008
Malaria remains a major health concern worldwide, with 350-500 million cases reported annually in endemic countries. In this study, we report a novel and highly sensitive optical-based detection of malaria-infected blood cells by third harmonic generation (THG) imaging of hemozoin pigment that is naturally deposited by the parasite during its lifecycle. The THG signal from the hemozoin was greater than we have observed in any cell type with signal/noise ratios that reach 1000:1. This method allows a rapid and robust detection of early stage infections of blood cells. The immense nonlinear response of the intrinsic parasitic by-product pigments suggests that automated optical detection by THG could be used for sensitive and rapid screening of parasite infection in blood samples.
MALARIA DIAGNOSIS: CAN THE FUTURE BEAT THE STATUS QUO
BACKGROUND: Malaria is a potentially lethal disease, which if not promptly and properly diagnosed and treated, could easily lead to many deaths. Even though there has been a drop in the incidence and mortality due to malaria, especially in the last 15 years or so, the estimates in 2015 of 212 million cases and 429,000 deaths are still unacceptably high. Ninety percent of the burden of malaria is borne by people in Sub-saharan Africa, most of whom are children five years and younger. The current ‘gold standard’, blood smear microscopy, was first invented more than 100 years ago. However, in spite of the remarkable advances in microbial detection via several means in modern medicine, prohibitive costs and less practicability have reduced the usefulness of new diagnostics in most malaria control programmes. OBJECTIVE: To highlight the current diagnostic approaches to malaria and their merits/demerits vis-à-vis usefulness in malaria control programmes. METHOD: Relevant articles written in English were searched in PubMed, Google scholar and Medline. RESULTS: There are a plethora of tests available for diagnosing malaria. They range from simple rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and blood smear microscopy to complex molecular techniques which may only be useful in detecting malaria in subjects with sub-patent parasitaemia. CONCLUSION: malaria diagnosis, though has advanced, there is still a need for a single diagnostic tool that would be ideal for all malaria transmission settings.
First successful field evaluation of new, one-minute haemozoin-based malaria diagnostic device
EClinicalMedicine, 2020
Background: Early and accurate diagnosis of malaria is critical to the success of malaria elimination. However, the current mainstay of malaria diagnosis in the field, such as light microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), have limitations due to low parasite density or mutation in diagnostic markers. Methods: We evaluated an inexpensive, robust, rapid, malaria diagnostic device, called Gazelle, that employs magneto-optical detection to identify haemozoin crystals (Hz) produced by all species of human malaria parasites in infected individuals. A beam of polarised light is passed through the lysed diluted blood sample under the influence of high (~.55T) and low magnetic fields. The difference in light transmission through the sample between the high and low magnetic fields indicates presence of Hz, suggesting possible malarial infection. A total of 300 febrile patients were screened at the malaria clinic of Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (ICMR-NIRTH), Jabalpur, India, from August 2018 to November 2018. Malaria diagnosis was done using four diagnostic methods: Gazelle, light microscopy, RDT, and malaria specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Measures of diagnostic accuracy were compared. Findings: Out of 300 febrile patients enroled and tested for the presence of malaria parasites, 262 patient samples were included in the final analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of Gazelle was 98% and 97% in comparison to light microscopy, 82% and 99% to PCR and 78% and 99% to RDT, respectively. The results of the four diagnostic methods were comparable and statistically no significant differences in sensitivity or specificity was observed between these methods. Enhanced diagnostic accuracy of Gazelle in malaria patients with no prior history of malaria treatment was observed in this study. Interpretation: The diagnostic ability of Gazelle was comparable to light microscopy and better than RDTs even in low parasitemia and in presence of pfhrp2/3 deletion mutant parasites. Gazelle may be a novel valuable diagnostic tool in resource poor settings where (i) microscopy is not feasible and (ii) pfhrp2/3gene deleted parasite are present. Its speed, cost-efficiency, and alternative to lack of microscopists makes it an important adjunct in field settings. Funding: HemexDx, India.
Prompt and Accurate Diagnosis, A Veritable Tool in Malaria Elimination Efforts
Current Topics and Emerging Issues in Malaria Elimination, 2021
The concept of malaria elimination is to get rid of local transmission of malaria parasites in a defined geographical area. Among the measures required for malaria elimination is prompt and accurate diagnosis. Malaria diagnostic tools currently in use: clinical diagnosis, Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (mRDT) and molecular diagnosis, have limitations. Clinical diagnosis can be used as first step in making prompt malaria diagnosis, but cannot confirm cases. Malaria RDTs satisfies the need for prompt diagnosis but has low accuracy in confirming cases. Accuracy of microscopy depends on making good blood films, and accurate film interpretation. Molecular diagnosis required for species-specific diagnosis of malaria parasites, and determination of genes that confers drug resistance to Plasmodium species is not available for routine use. As part of elimination efforts, there is development of mRDT kits that utilize urine or saliva instead of blood specimen, microscopy digital image recogni...
Current and Emerging Laboratory Techniques for Malaria Diagnosis
International Blood Research & Reviews
Effective diagnostic methods must continue to be developed due to the effects of malaria on world health. Malaria is an infectious disease spread by mosquitoes that affects both people and other animals. It is the product of Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Other sporozoan species responsible for malaria infections include the sporozoan parasites Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malaria, and Plasmodium knowlesi. Routine diagnosis of malaria is impeded in areas where the disease is endemic by technical and infrastructure issues with laboratories. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential since good disease management is one of the primary actions of the Global Malaria Control Strategy. Accurate malaria detection is also crucial in order to inform malaria control efforts through epidemiologic screening and surveillance, for research reasons to evaluate the effectiveness of antimal...
Different Approaches for Detection of Malarial Parasite
International journal of advanced research in electrical, electronics and instrumentation engineering, 2015
Protozoal infection is the commonest protozoal infestation in individual residing in nearly three billion victims across 107 countries and 1-3 million deaths p.a. around the globe. The malady is mostly diagnosed by examining properly stained peripheral blood smear because the protozoal infection parasite invades red blood corpuscles (RBC) of the cardiovascular system. For this reason, correct analysis of red blood cell is that the most confirmative designation of protozoal infection. Here during this paper, completely different approaches for proper identification of presence of protozoal infection parasite at intervals red blood cell are mentioned.
Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases, 2014
Malaria is one of the most pervasive parasitic diseases ever known to mankind affecting nearly 300 million people every year. The need for rapid diagnosis of malaria in tropical and subtropical malaria endemic areas is on the rise. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of hematology autoanalyzers, Sysmex XE-2100 & XT-2000i in the presumptive diagnosis of malaria. Our study shows that abnormalities in WBC/BASO scattergram when combined with presence of thrombocytopenia had a high sensitivity and positive predictive value in the presumptive diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax (P.vivax) malaria.
Malaria Diagnosis: Current Approaches andFuture Prospects
2016
Scaled up efforts by a consortia of organisations in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of malaria have led to a significant reduction in the overall malaria mortality and morbidity in the past few years. Malaria has, nonetheless, remained one of the world’s most burdensome diseases with the over 214 million cases and 438,000 deaths recorded in 2015 (2.68% of global DALYs). This burden is unevenly domiciled in sub-Saharan Africa where 89% of all cases and 91% of all deaths occurred. These figures however, only represent a fraction of the actual global burden of Malaria as surveillance fails to cover most cases in sub-Saharan Africa where the majority of malaria endemic regions lack facilities for diagnosis, case management and active surveillance. The emergence of drug resistant strains of the Plasmodium species prompted WHO to recommend a confirmatory diagnosis of each case of Malaria before treatment. The workability of this recommendation however, begs to be questioned as th...