Overreliance on Plasmodium 18S rRNA gene for malaria molecular diagnosis-inferences from systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Molecular diagnosis of malaria through nucleic acid-based amplification test is important to detect low-density, sub-microscopic and residual infections, as well as to prevent importations and re-establishment. Reliance on single/limited molecular targets could be detrimental as evidenced by false-negative PfHRP2-based RDTs, and the same may apply to PCR targets. No systematic exploration of the commonly used PCR targets has yet been documented.

Methods

A systematic search was made using a previously generated database through PubMed® and Google Scholar® and supplemented by additional searches. All studies that used PCR for detecting Plasmodium infections were included in this study. Further information was retrieved on molecular targets used and the type of PCR a

SUBMITTER: Deora N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12281677 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature