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Active Case Detection in Malaria Elimination

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Malaria

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Synonyms

Active surveillance; Proactive case detection; Screening

Definition

Screening of populations irrespective of the presence of fever or any other signs or symptoms of malaria to detect Plasmodium infections and residual parasite carriers.

Introduction

In the surveillance of disease, epidemiologists classify case detection methods as being active or passive. In active surveillance, investigators find cases so as to treat and thereby eliminate carriage for individual and public health benefit and collect information and/or specimens by contacting or visiting members of the target population. In passive surveillance, investigators capture patient data as they present for care in treatment facilities.

The large majority of information used by national malaria control programs and ultimately in annual global reports is based on health facility attendance records from passive surveillance. Detailed demographic, clinical, and parasitological data of cases presenting for care can be...

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Abbreviations

DBS:

Dried blood spot

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

GMS:

Greater Mekong Subregion

HS-RDT:

Highly sensitive RDT

IPTp:

Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

qPCR:

Quantitative PCR

RDT:

Rapid diagnostic test

SSA:

sub-Saharan Africa

uPCR:

High volume ultra-sensitive PCR

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithi Road, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand

    Lorenz von Seidlein

Authors
  1. Lorenz von Seidlein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorenz von Seidlein .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Peter G. Kremsner

  2. Medical School, St. George's, University of London Medical School, New Malden, United Kingdom

    Sanjeev Krishna

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von Seidlein, L. (2017). Active Case Detection in Malaria Elimination. In: Kremsner, P., Krishna, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Malaria. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8757-9_114-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8757-9_114-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-8757-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-8757-9

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