Astel Malaria Test Kit

Astel Malaria ^®

Rapid Test for falciparum and vivax Malaria

In eastern and southern Africa, the greater menace of malaria is caused by 2 species: Plasmodium falciparum which accounts for around 90 % of all malaria cases and P. vivax for around 10%. The most lethal malaria is caused by P. falciparum.

Two other malaria species also infect humans, namely P.malariae, which causes the so-called “benign malaria” with fever that recurs at approximately three-day intervals (a quartan fever), and P.ovale, which causes a fever that recurs every two days “tertian malaria.” Malaria due to these two species is not nearly as dangerous as that produced by P. falciparum or P. vivax.

Astel Malaria ^® is a rapid highly specific and highly sensitive test for the detection of infections due to the two dominant malaria species responsible for nearly all the disease burden in eastern and southern Africa, namely Plasmodium falciparum and P.vivax.

The test detects parasite species- specific lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymes using specific monoclonal antibodies. Since presence of LDH in blood closely correlates with ongoing infections, this test has high positive and negative predictive values. The test becomes negative within 4 days following curative treatment, making it also a good predictor of cure.