{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T01:40:30Z","timestamp":1781746830790,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,6]],"date-time":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665014400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In this study, <jats:italic>Plasmodium falciparum<\/jats:italic> was detected in patients that were declared negative for malaria microscopy and rapid diagnostic test kit (mRDT), using <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> 18s rRNA loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique. The main aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of LAMP assay for detecting pre-clinical malaria, when microscopy and mRDT were less sensitive. DNA was obtained from 100 \u03bcL of whole blood using the boil and spin method. Subsequently, the <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> 18s rRNA LAMP assay was performed to amplify the specific <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> 18s rRNA gene. Microscopy and mRDT negative samples [697\/2223 (31.2%)] were used for this study. Compared to frequencies obtained for the other demographic variables, most of the patients were &lt; 6 years (37.7%), females (59.0%), peri-urban dwellers (39.0%) and patients that sought outpatient department services (39.3%). Overall, the prevalence of <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> 18s rRNA was 17.5%. when stratified by study variables, <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> 18s rRNA LAMP positivity was higher in patients over 30 years [58\/122 (54.2%)], males [69\/122 (56.5%)], rural dwellers [69\/122 (56.5%)] and patients that sought OPD services [68\/122 (55.7%)]. The risk of being infected with <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> when routine tests were negative was higher in 15\u201330-year group (OR = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.6\u20135.8, p = 0.0007), patients &gt; 30 years (OR = 15.2, 95% CI: 8.3\u201327.7, p&lt;0.001), males (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4\u20133.2, p = 0.0002) and rural dwellers (OR = 2.2, 95% CI:1.4\u20133.6, p = 0.0009). However, risk was lower in post-natal children (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.18\u20130.51, p&lt;0.001). Majority (81.5%) of the infected patients presented with headache, herpes labialis, diarrhea and vomiting. We demonstrated the lack of sensitivities of microscopy and mRDT for one-time diagnosis of malaria. Therefore, it is essential to utilize a sensitive technique such as <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> 18s rRNA LAMP to increase the detection rate of <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic> infection.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0275052","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,6]],"date-time":"2022-10-06T17:48:10Z","timestamp":1665078490000},"page":"e0275052","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Utilization of 18s ribosomal RNA LAMP for detecting Plasmodium falciparum in microscopy and rapid diagnostic test negative patients"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6489-167X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Enoch","family":"Aninagyei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adjoa Agyemang","family":"Boakye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Clement Okraku","family":"Tettey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8066-9182","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kofi Adjei","family":"Ntiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel Ohene","family":"Ofori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Comfort Dede","family":"Tetteh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thelma Teley","family":"Aphour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2450-5906","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tanko","family":"Rufai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,6]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0275052.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1186\/s41182-021-00379-z","article-title":"What sub-Saharan African countries can learn from malaria elimination in China","volume":"49","author":"AO Badmos","year":"2021","journal-title":"Trop Med Health [Internet]."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0275052.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"387","DOI":"10.1186\/s12936-019-3028-z","article-title":"A review of the WHO malaria rapid diagnostic test product testing programme (2008\u20132018): performance, procurement and policy.","volume":"18","author":"J Cunningham","year":"2019","journal-title":"Malar J [Internet]."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0275052.ref003","article-title":"Sensitivity of microscopy compared to molecular diagnosis of P. falciparum: Implications on malaria treatment in epidemic areas in Kenya","volume":"5","author":"L Wangai","year":"2011","journal-title":"African J Infect Dis [Internet]."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0275052.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.15.1.66-78.2002","article-title":"Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Malaria Parasites.","volume":"15","author":"A. 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