{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T16:56:37Z","timestamp":1791219397254,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789430400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001711","name":"Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur F\u00f6rderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PR00P3_179753"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PR00P3_179753"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001711","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Leading House Africa","award":["Consolidation Grant"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Consolidation Grant"]}]},{"name":"Prof. Dr. P.C. Flu Foundation","award":["8244-30453"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["8244-30453"]}]},{"name":"Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n \n Accurate diagnostic tools are needed in schistosomiasis elimination settings to determine prevalence thresholds for assigning or stopping interventions, guide pre- and post-elimination surveillance, and verify whether elimination has been reached. We assessed the accuracy of six different diagnostic tests in Pemba, Tanzania, a setting approaching\n Schistosoma haematobium<\/jats:italic>\n elimination.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methodology<\/jats:title>\n \n A prospective diagnostic accuracy study was conducted from February to April 2025. From an initial cross-sectional single-day urine filtration (UF)-microscopy screening of 784 students, 69\n S. haematobium<\/jats:italic>\n -positive and 212 negative students were randomly selected for longitudinal follow-up. Four additional urine samples collected over four different days, were available from 262\/281 participants and subjected to UF-microscopy. One sample per participant was analysed in parallel with five additional diagnostics: microscopy-based artificial intelligence (AI) scanner,\n Schistosoma<\/jats:italic>\n -ITS-2 qPCR,\n S. haematobium<\/jats:italic>\n -Dra-1 recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), Hemastix reagent strips, and up-converting particle lateral flow circulating anodic antigen assay (UCP-LF CAA). We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the different diagnostics, using 5-day UF-microscopy as reference test.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Principal findings<\/jats:title>\n \n A total of 85\/262 participants were\n S. haematobium<\/jats:italic>\n -positive using 5-day UF-microscopy. Directly compared with the reference test, the sensitivity for single-sample examination was: AI scanner: 76.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 71.0-82.5%), qPCR: 76.0% (95% CI: 70.1-81.4%), UF-microscopy: 61.2% (95% CI: 55.3-67.1%), RPA: 56.1% (95% CI: 50.0-62.2%), Hemastix: 44.6% (95% CI: 38.5-50.7%), and UCP-LF CAA: 30.6% (95% CI: 24.9-36.3%). Sensitivity increased with increasing infection intensity. The specificity of all investigated diagnostics was\u2009>92%, except for qPCR and RPA.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions\/significance<\/jats:title>\n In near-elimination settings, multiple-day urine examination with standard UF-microscopy substantially improves case detection but is operationally challenging. For single-sample testing, among the six diagnostics investigated, the AI scanner proved to be the most accurate. Hence, the AI scanner might offer a promising alternative for research, clinical and programme use, but requires further validation in other settings and cost-effectiveness analyses.<\/jats:p>\n \n Trial registration:<\/jats:bold>\n clinicaltrials.gov<\/jats:ext-link>\n , NCT06808750. Registered 08 January 2025,\n https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/study\/NCT06808750<\/jats:ext-link>\n .\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0014066","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T18:07:31Z","timestamp":1789495651000},"page":"e0014066","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Evaluation of six different tests for Schistosoma haematobium diagnosis in a near-elimination setting: A prospective observational diagnostic accuracy study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Naomi C.","family":"Ndum","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute","place":["Allschwil, Switzerland"]},{"name":"University of Basel","place":["Basel, Switzerland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Said 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Public Health Institute","place":["Allschwil, Switzerland"]},{"name":"University of Basel","place":["Basel, Switzerland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Ward","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Enaiblers AB","place":["Uppsala, Sweden"]},{"name":"Ghent University","place":["Gent, Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bonnie L.","family":"Webster","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural History Museum","place":["London, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5707-7963","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Stefanie","family":"Knopp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute","place":["Allschwil, Switzerland"]},{"name":"University of Basel","place":["Basel, 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