Challenges in Diagnosing and Treating Acutely Febrile Children with Suspected Malaria at Health Care Facilities in the Lake Mwanza Region of Tanzania.

ABSTRACT: Acute febrile diseases transmitted by mosquitos are a diagnostic challenge for pediatricians working in sub-Saharan Africa. Misclassification due to the lack of rapid, reliable diagnostic tests leads to the overuse of antibiotics and antimalarials. Children presenting with acute fever and suspected of having malaria were examined at health care facilities in the Mwanza Region of Tanzania. The sensitivity and specificity of blood smear microscopy and malaria rapid diagnostic tests that targeted histidine-rich protein 2 and Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase were compared with a multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-ELISA. Six hundred ninety-eight children presented with acute fever and met the criteria for inclusion; 23% received antibiotics and 23% received antimala

SUBMITTER: Koliopoulos P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10859794 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature