ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to compare the diagnosis of malaria parasite infection among patients and blood donors using microscopy and rapid test kits. The study was carried out between January 2021 to April 2021.A total number of 500 blood sample were collected from three different units in University of Benin teaching hospital, UBTH, and analyzed for the comparative diagnosis of malaria using thin and thick smears for microscopy then Rapid test kits for rapid diagnosis test. The result shows 96 blood samples were gotten from antenatal clinic. 307 samples were gotten from Accident and emergency ward. 97 samples were gotten from blood bank. Using rapid diagnostic tests kits , 50% (48/96) negative and 48% (48/96) positive results were gotten from Antenatal then accident and emergency ward with 69.1% (212/307)negative and 25.7% (79/307) positive results and blood bank with 81.4% (79/97) negative and 18.6% (18/97) positive results. Using microscopy(thick film), 47.9% (46/96) negative and 52.1% (50/96) positive results were gotten from antenatal clinic then accident and emergency ward with 71.3% (219/307)negative and 28.7% (88/307) positive results and blood bank with 75.3% (73/97) negative and 24.7% (24/97) positive results. Lastly using microscopy(thin film) 47.9% (46/96) negative and 52.1% (50/96) positive results were gotten from antenatal clinic then accident and emergency ward with 71.3% (219/307)negative and 28.7% (88/307) positive results and blood bank with 75.3% (73/97) negative and 24.7% (24/97) positive results. Following the results of microscopy and rapid diagnostic test, the use of rapid diagnostic test kits does not eliminate the use of microscopy since it does no detect mixed infections and was not be able to detect infection with lower parasitemia