Table 2 Frequency, sensitivity and specificity of symptoms for clinical malaria (symptomatic Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia) in individuals ≥ 5 years of age
Symptoms | Pf pos,an (%) | Pf neg,bn (%) | P value | Sensitivity (%) | Specificity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Headache | 167 (89) | 2055 (79) | 0. 001 | 88. 8 | 20. 9 |
Fever | 105 (56) | 1185 (46) | 0. 01 | 55. 9 | 54. 4 |
Appetite loss | 69 (37) | 834 (32) | 0. 19 | 36. 7 | 67. 9 |
Chills | 68 (36) | 457 (18) | <0. 001 | 36. 2 | 82. 4 |
Joint pains | 57 (30) | 641 (25) | 0. 08 | 30. 3 | 75. 3 |
Vomiting | 48 (26) | 460 (18) | 0. 01 | 25. 5 | 82. 3 |
Malaise | 36 (19) | 325 (13) | 0. 01 | 19. 1 | 87. 5 |
Backache | 35 (19) | 494 (19) | 0. 89 | 18. 6 | 81 |
Nausea | 26 (14) | 447 (17) | 0. 23 | 13. 8 | 82. 8 |
Diarrhoea | 6 (3) | 323 (12) | <0. 001 | 3. 2 | 87. 6 |
Jaundice | 2 (1) | 25 (1) | 0. 89 | 1. 1 | 99 |