Development and efficacy of real-time PCR in the diagnosis of vivax malaria using field samples in the Republic of Korea

PLoS One. 2014 Aug 22;9(8):e105871. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105871. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The development of sensitive, rapid, and accurate diagnostic methods for vivax malaria is essential for the effective control of malaria in the Republic of Korea, where vivax malaria patients usually show low parasitemia. In this study, a TaqMan-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was established and compared with other PCR-based assays, including nested PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, and multiplex PCR, using samples from febrile patients with suspected vivax malaria. The established real-time PCR had a high sensitivity (99.6%) and specificity (100%). Therefore, this sensitive, specific, rapid, and quantitative real-time PCR method could be used for the routine diagnosis of vivax malaria in the laboratory of the Korea National Institute of Health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blood / parasitology
  • Humans
  • Limit of Detection
  • Malaria, Vivax / diagnosis*
  • Malaria, Vivax / genetics
  • Malaria, Vivax / parasitology
  • Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Plasmodium vivax / genetics*
  • Plasmodium vivax / pathogenicity
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Republic of Korea
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Grants and funding

This work was supported by funding (4847-311-210-13) from the Korea National Institute of Health, Korea CDC. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.