Reliability of Urine Malaria Test (UMT) for Malaria Diagnosis

Although an accurate diagnosis of malaria is key to effective rational malaria therapy, it has been the most neglected area of Malaria research. Thick blood film microscopy, Blood rapid diagnostic test (bRDT) and Urine Malaria Test (UMT) was comparatively used to study malaria prevalence as well as their sensitivity, specificity and predictive values in diagnosing malaria. A total of 100 samples were collected from patients attending University of Agriculture Makurdi health centre from September 2016 - January 2017 and analysed appropriately using standard procedures. The highest malaria prevalence 86(86%) was recorded in microscopic diagnosis followed by UMT 57(57%) while Blood Rapid diagnostic Test b(RDT) recorded the least malaria prevalence 50(50%). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the prevalence of malaria in the different diagnostic methods used. Microscopic diagnosis recorded sensitivity and specificity of 100%, UMT recorded sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 100% while bRDT recorded sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 100%. There was a significant difference (P< 0.05) in the sensitivity and specificity among the different diagnostic methods used. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) microscopic diagnosis was 100% while bRDT also recorded a positive predictive value (PPV) of100% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 75%. UMT equally had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100% and a negative predictive value (NPV) 55.5%. The assessment of attributable fraction of fever associated with malaria among the participants showed that out of 86 malaria positive participants, 19 of had fever while 67 of them had malaria without any sign of fever.