Fluorescent antibody test for malaria

ALTHOUGH OTHER SEROLOGICAL TESTS, SUCH AS COMPLEMENT FIXATION, HEMAGGLUTINATION, AND GEL PRECIPITATION, ARE USED TO DETECT MALARIAL ANTIBODY, THE IFA TEST IS THE METHOD OF CHOICE FOR BOTH INDIVIDUAL DIAGNOSIS AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES. IT HAS BEEN APPLIED MOST EXTENSIVELY IN AFRICA. COMPARATIVELY FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED IN OTHER AREAS, BUT THE IFA TEST SHOULD BE A MOST USEFUL METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE RESULTS OF MALARIA ERADICATION PROJECTS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO STANDARDIZE THE TEST PROCEDURE FOR ACCURATE COMPARISONS OF STUDIES PERFORMED IN DIFFERENT LABORATORIES. ALTHOUGH THE BASIC TEST TECHNIQUE IS SIMILAR WORLDWIDE, EVERY GROUP HAS ITS OWN MODIFICATIONS AND THUS INTRODUCES UNNECESSARY VARIABLES. RESULTS CAN BE GENERALLY COMPARED NOW, BUT SOME DIFFERENCES IN RESULTS MAY BE DUE TO TEST PROCEDURES WHICH MIGHT BE RESOLVED BY STANDARDIZATION OF METHODS. TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS CAN BE MADE TO IMPROVE TEST EFFICIENCY. THE PRESENT TEST IS TEDIOUS, TIME-CONSUMING, AND REQUIRES SKILL AND A WELL-EQUIPPED LABORATORY. THE MULTISPECIES ANTIGEN, CONSISTING OF ALL FOUR HUMAN MALARIA SPECIES IN THE SAME AMOUNT, WOULD GREATLY REDUCE THE TIME AND EFFORT NOW REQUIRED FOR LARGE-SCALE SURVEYS. AUTOMATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE AND DETERMINATION OF RESULTS WOULD NOT ONLY IMPROVE TEST EFFICIENCY BUT BE VALUABLE IN STANDARDIZATION BY ELIMINATING SUBJECTIVE JUDGMENTS OF FLUORESCENCE.