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Published on: October 31, 2010
Field Evaluation of Mobile Molecular Differential Tests in DRC and Nigeria
Martin Faye1, Sheila Makiala-Mandana2,3, Moussa Moïse Diagne1
1Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal.
Background:
Accurate and timely differential diagnoses are a challenge for health care, particularly in infrastructure-poor settings.
Methods:
To investigate fevers of unknown origin in Africa, a mobile suitcase laboratory was deployed to DRC and Southwest Nigeria to support the control of the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in North-Kivu and Ituri provinces (DRC) and to provide a point-of-need solution for malaria confirmation during the dry season, respectively.
Results:
In DRC, the samples were tested for Ebola virus and the differentials Plasmodium falciparum, Salmonella enterica, yellow fever virus, Dengue virus, and chikungunya virus. In Southwest Nigeria, the samples were not tested for Ebola virus but were tested for the same differentials and additionally for Rickettsia spp., Leptospira, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Plasmodium falciparum was detected in 23% (n = 192) and 47% (n = 88) of cases, respectively, and Salmonella enterica was detected in only 1 case in each cohort.
Conclusions:
The etiological agents circulating in febrile patients in Sub-Saharan Africa and the true incidence of neglected tropical diseases are still underestimated.
