RESUMEN
The aim of the study was to determine the accuracy of a rapid diagnostic test (SD Bioline Malaria Ag P.f/ Pan®) and fluorescent microscopy (CyScope®) in confirming presumptive malaria diagnosis in Cotonou. Thick blood smear was used as the reference technique for comparison. Testing was conducted on persons between the ages of 6 months and 70 years at two hospitals from June to October 2010. If malaria was suspected in the sample by the nurse based on clinical findings and sent to laboratory for confirmation, one thick smear, one rapid diagnostic test and one slide for the fluorescent microscopy were performed. All tests were read in hospital laboratories involved with the quality control of thick blood smear in the parasitology laboratory of National University Hospital of Cotonou. A total of 354 patients with clinical diagnosis of malaria were included. Malaria prevalence determined by thick smear, rapid diagnostic test and fluorescent microscopy was 22.8%, 25.4%, and 25.1% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values compared to the thick smears were 96.3, 95.6, 86.7, and 98.9% for rapid diagnostic test; and 97.5, 96.7, 89.8, and 99.27% for fluorescent microscopy. With these performances, these tests meet acceptability standards recommended by WHO for rapid tests (sensitivity > 95%). These two methods have advantages for the confirmation of malaria diagnosis in peripheral health structures that lack the resources to conduct diagnosis confirmation by the thick blood smear.