Table 1 Summary of the diagnostic results (details in Additional file 1)

Microscopic species identifications

12× P. ovale spp., 3× misidentifications as P. vivax, 40× Plasmodium spp. without further discrimination, 17× not performed

Range of parasitaemia in microscopically positive samples

Few visible parasites up to 1% infected erythrocytes

Ct values of the P. ovale curtisi PCR according to Bauffe et al. (median; IQR)

24; 3

Ct values of the P. ovale curtisi PCR according to Calderaro et al. (median; IQR)

26; 3

Ct values of the P. ovale wallikeri PCR according to Bauffe et al. (median; IQR)

25; 4

Ct values of the P. ovale wallikeri PCR according to Calderaro et al. (median; IQR)

28; 4.3