Molecular Diagnostic Techniques for Malaria Infection - A Review

Abstract

Malaria is the most threatening protozoal disease and a major health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. WHO recommends that for every case of suspected malaria, a diagnostic test must be done to confirm the disease. More advanced diagnostic techniques were developed to overcome the limitations of conventional microscopy. These techniques are known as molecular diagnostic techniques, and they detect specific sequences in DNA, RNA, and proteins to provide clinical information for human pathogens, including malaria parasites. Several techniques involved in molecular diagnostics are discussed in this review. They include Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), Flow Cytometric Technique (FCM), Nucleic Acid-based Sequence Amplification (NASBA), and Luminex xMax technology. Among these techniques, LAMP is the best option for field settings (clinical and rural settings) because of its simplicity, reliability, stability, detection method, as well as point-of-care and confirmatory ability. On the other hand, PCR-based techniques are more suitable for research purposes because they can be used to identify drug resistance, follow up on therapeutic responses, and detect asymptomatic malaria carriers who may be targeted for treatment. Hence, molecular diagnostic techniques are among the most innovative scientific and technical implementations that can be used to diagnose malaria infection and overcome the limitations of traditional methods.