pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 Gene Deletions That Affect Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Plasmodium falciparum: Analysis of Archived Blood Samples From 3 African Countries

Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) that target histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) are important tools for Plasmodium falciparum diagnosis. Parasites with pfhrp2/3 gene deletions threaten the use of these mRDTs and have been reported in Africa, Asia, and South America. We studied blood samples from 3 African countries to determine if these gene deletions were present. Methods We analyzed 911 dried blood spots from Ghana (n = 165),...