Table 4 Comparative LOD results of Microscopy, ICTs and RTPCR performed on blood specimens from representative (n = 3 per species) patient specimens for each malaria species.

P. falciparum 1

Parasitaemia 5.6%

   88.2% Single Rings

1.00E-03

1.00E-04

1.00E-03

1.00E-05

   11.8% Double Rings

P. falciparum

Parasitaemia 0.6%

   100% Single Rings

1.00E-02

1.00E-03

1.00E-03

1.00E-04

P. falciparum 3

Parasitaemia 22.1%

   86.8% Single Rings

1.00E-02

1.00E-04

1.00E-04

1.00E-05

   13.2% Double Rings

P. vivax 1

Parasitaemia 0.474%

   19.1% single rings

ND

1.00E-01

1.00E-02

1.00E-05

   57.4% growing trophozoites

   19.1% mature trophozoites

   4.2% gametocytes

P. vivax 2

Parasitaemia 0.728%

   54.7% rings

ND

1.00E-01

1.00E-02

1.00E-05

   45.3% growing trophozoites

P. vivax 3

Parasitaemia 0.061%

   70% growing trophozoites

ND

1.00E+00

1.00E-01

1.00E-03

   15% mature trophozoites

   15% gametocytes

P. malariae 1

Parasitaemia 0.06%

   25% growing trophs

ND

1.00E+00

1.00E+00

1.00E-04

   57.1% mature trophs

   3.6% mature schizonts

   7.1% immature schizonts

   7.1% gametocytes

P. malariae 2

Parasitaemia 0.10%

   11.1% rings

ND

1.00E+00

1.00E+00

1.00E-04

   50% growing trophozoites

   13.9% mature trophozoites

   2.8% immature schizonts

   5.6% mature schizonts

   16.7% gametocytes

P. malariae 3

Parasitaemia 0.0614%

   11.1% rings

ND

1.00E+00

1.00E+00

1.00E-03

   44.4% growing trophozoites

   14.8% immature schzionts

   11.1% mature trophozoites

   18.5% gametocytes

P. ovale 1

Parasitaemia 0.167%

   3% rings

ND

undetectable

1.00E+00

1.00E-04

   94% growing trophozoites

   3% mature schizonts

P. ovale 2

Parasitaemia 0.219%

   11.4% rings

ND

1.00E+00

1.00E+00

1.00E-05

   85.7% growing trophozoites

   2.8% gametocytes

P. ovale 3

Parasitaemia 0.009%

   100% growing trophozoites

ND

undetectable

undetectable

1.00E-03