Comparative Study of the Rapid Diagnostic Test and Microscopy with PCR as a Reference in Placental Malaria Diagnosis in Burkina Faso

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the Rapid Diagnostic Tests and microscopy in assessing the burden of placental infection using PCR as a reference technique. Methods: This study was conducted during one year from April 2019 to March 2021 in four health districts of Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. The study involved 531 pregnant women at delivery. Blood from placenta was collected for RDTs detection of infection by Plasmodium falciparum and microscopic identification by blood smears examination following by parasite DNA extraction for Nested PCR detection. Results: The prevalence of the placental infection of Plasmodium falciparum identified by RDT, optical microscopy, and Nested PCR were 5.46%, 6.98% et 8.29% respectively. The estimated values of sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value and Negative Predictive Value of RDT were respectively 51.72%, 95.02%, 34.10% and 97.15% while those of microscopy were 100%, 98.58%, 84.10% and 99.19% respectively. Conclusion: The results revealed a strong correlation between RDT test and microscopy.