Limited threat of Plasmodium falciparum pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletion to the utility of hrp2 based malaria RDT’s

Abstract

Introduction: Malaria is one of the leading challenges of the global health while it is a dangerous disease that has resulted in the loss of millions of lives across the world. On the other hand, the UN reported 229 million cases of various infectious diseases in total during 2019. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to find the limited threat of Plasmodium falciparum pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletion to the utility of hrp2 based malaria RDT’s. Methodology of the study: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of pathology Liaquat university of medical and health sciences from July 2023 to February 2024. Data were collected from 380 patients suffering from malaria. Data were collected from 380 patients according to inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. Blood samples were collected from each patient for malaria diagnosis, then centrifuged the blood at 4000rpm to separate the serum. Thick and thin smears were prepared and the examination of them with the assistance of the microscope was completed for the presence of Plasmodium parasites. Results: Data were collected from 380 malarial patients. Microscopy identified 150 out of 380 patients as positive for Plasmodium parasites, yielding a prevalence of 39.5%. HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) detected malaria antigens in 170 patients, resulting in a prevalence of 44.7%. This suggests a slightly higher detection rate with RDTs compared to microscopy. Conclusion: It is concluded that while pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions are prevalent among malaria patients in the studied population from Pakistan, HRP2-based RDTs continue to demonstrate acceptable diagnostic performance. Despite slight reductions in sensitivity among patients with gene deletions, RDTs remain effective tools for malaria diagnosis.