Replication data for "Accuracy of diagnosis among clinical malaria patients: comparing microscopy, RDT and a highly sensitive qPCR and the implication for submicroscopic infections"

Here, we present for the first time in Ghana, the accuracy of diagnosis of microscopy and RDT using highly sensitive varATS qPCR as reference in a clinical setting. This data comprises of 1,040 febrile patients were recruited from two primary health care centers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and tested for malaria by microscopy, RDT, and varATS qPCR. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were assessed using qPCR as gold standard. Parasite prevalence was 17.5%, 24.5%, and 42.1% by microscopy, RDT, and varATS qPCR respectively. Using qPCR as the standard, RDT was more sensitive (55.7% vs 39.3%), marginally less specific (98.2% vs 98.3%), and had higher positive (95.7% vs 94.5%) and negative predictive values (75.3% vs 69.0%) than microscopy. Parasite prevalence and density was higher among the 5-14 age group than the <5, 15-30, and >30 age groups across all the tests.