Objectives: The present study was done to compare RDK, PCR-based diagnosis with conventional microscopic peripheral blood smear examination for detection of uncomplicated malaria in urban Kolkata. Methods: We collected whole blood samples (N = 100) from febrile patients attending Malaria Clinic, CSTM, Kolkata, India. Uncomplicated malaria was diagnosed by microscopy, rapid diagnostic kit (RDK) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to compare RDK, PCR-based diagnosis with conventional microscopic peripheral blood smear examination (PBS). Results: We identified 39 infections, 18 of which were caused by Plasmodium vivax, 18 by Plasmodium falciparum, and 3 were mixed infections harbouring both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. The sensitivity and specificity of each method to detect plasmodial parasite varied as 87.25% and 92.4% for microscopy, 79.5% and 88.4% for RDK and 100% and 100% for PCR, respectively. All samples showing disagreement among the methods were reevaluated by repeat testing. PCR detected parasites in the 5 false-negative samples as found both by microscopy and RDK. The mixed infections were detected as Plasmodium falciparum by PCR, while the other methods diagnosed them as mixed infections. Two cases of vivax infections were detected as genus plasmodium by PCR. Conclusion: The use of the microscopic method for malaria detection is suitable for its low cost but diagnostic accuracy can be enhanced by PCR-based method where available thus facilitating proper treatment. RDK can be applied in fieldwork.

Objectives: Schistosomiasis is a major parasitic disease affecting more than 200 million people in the developing world, and 400 million people are at risk for infection. The main objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of schistosomiasis through a serological method in a reference laboratory in Côte d’Ivoire. This retrospective study was conducted using laboratory data obtained from 2006 to 2014 at the Parasitology Unit of Institute Pasteur of Côte d’Ivoire. The serological routine method was the indirect hemagglutination assays schistosomiasis kit from Fumouze Laboratories (Levallois-Perret, France). Sociodemographic and clinical indications for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis were collected using a database of laboratory records spanning 2006 to 2014. Any difference in the prevalence of infections among different sexes or age groups were interpreted statistically. A total of 502 patients were attended Parasitology Unit from 2006 to 2014 for a serological diagnosis of schistosomiasis. The sex ratio was 1.9 male to female with a mean age of 35.1 years [3-85 years]. Prevalence of schistosomiasis was 23.3%, however, no statistically significant difference was observed according to age or sex (p> 0.05). High seroprevalence was observed in 2012 (45.7%) following by 2007 (42.9%) and less prevalence was observed in 2009 (3.6%). The seroprevalence of Schistosoma infection was found to be relatively high among the study population suggesting major interventions to reduce the burden of this disease in the country.