Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Novel and highly sensitive point-of-care malaria diagnostic and surveillance tools that are rapid and affordable are urgently needed to support malaria control and elimination.Methods
We demonstrated the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique to detect malaria parasites both, in vitro, using dilutions of infected red blood cells obtained from Plasmodium falciparum cultures and in vivo, in mice infected with P. berghei using blood spotted on slides and non-invasively, by simply scanning various body areas (e.g., feet, groin and ears). The spectra were analysed using machine learning to develop predictive models for infection.Findings
Using NIRS spectra of in vitro cultures and machine learning algorithms, we successfully detected low densities (<10-7 parasites/μL) of P. falciparum parasites with a sensitivity of 96% (n = 1041), a specificity of 93% (n = 130) and an accuracy of 96% (n = 1171) and differentiated ring, trophozoite and schizont stages with an accuracy of 98% (n = 820). Furthermore, when the feet of mice infected with P. berghei with parasitaemia ≥3% were scanned non-invasively, the sensitivity and specificity of NIRS were 94% (n = 66) and 86% (n = 342), respectively.Interpretation
These data highlights the potential of NIRS technique as rapid, non-invasive and affordable tool for surveillance of malaria cases. Further work to determine the potential of NIRS to detect malaria in symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria cases in the field is recommended including its capacity to guide current malaria elimination strategies.
SUBMITTER: Sikulu-Lord MT
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10962802 | biostudies-literature | 2024
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Sikulu-Lord Maggy T MT Edstein Michael D MD Goh Brendon B Lord Anton R AR Travis Jye A JA Dowell Floyd E FE Birrell Geoffrey W GW Chavchich Marina M
PloS one 20240325 3
<h4>Background</h4>Novel and highly sensitive point-of-care malaria diagnostic and surveillance tools that are rapid and affordable are urgently needed to support malaria control and elimination.<h4>Methods</h4>We demonstrated the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique to detect malaria parasites both, in vitro, using dilutions of infected red blood cells obtained from Plasmodium falciparum cultures and in vivo, in mice infected with P. berghei using blood spotted on slides and ...[more]