Malaria, enfermedad tropical de múltiples métodos diagnósticos

Abstract

Malaria is a disease caused by the parasite of the genus Plasmodium , which is transmitted by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. Between 2000 and 2015, 212 million cases have been reported worldwide. In Colombia, malaria is considered a public health problem, it is estimated that at least 70% of the territory has the necessary ecological conditions for the transmission of the parasite. To avoid the increase of the number of malaria cases, three pillars of prevention are used: avoiding exposure and performing vector control, chemoprophylaxis and timely diagnosis. After this, the treatment should be provided. The objectives of the treatment are: clinical cure of the patient, radical cure of infection and control of transmission. To diagnosis, there are different methods, which are evaluated and differentiated according to sensitivity and specificity; Based on this, the Gold Standard is defined as the Benchmark test. Nowadays, the Gold Standard for the diagnosis of malaria is a microscopic method call thick gout. However, there are other methods such as: peripheral blood smear, molecular methods and serological methods.