Gender Variation of Plasmodium Infection by Different Malarial Testing Techniques in District Hyderabad

Background: This study aimed to assess gender-based variation in Plasmodium infection among individuals in the Hyderabad district, using blood smear microscopy, immunochromatographic test (ICT), and real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hyderabad, Sindh, from November to December 2020. Finger-prick blood samples were collected from males and females of all age groups. Symptomatic individuals were initially screened using microscopy. ICT was employed for samples testing negative by microscopy, and RT-PCR targeting the Plasmodium-specific 18S rRNA gene (SSUrRNA) was performed for further confirmation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and presented as frequencies, percentages, and means. Results: Blood samples were analyzed from 74 males (mean age: 28.94±16.9) and 53 females (mean age: 30.89±11.97). Microscopy revealed 21 (28.38%) male and 14 (26.42%) female positive cases. Of 92 microscopy-negative samples, ICT identified 12 (13.05%) positive cases. Among 80 ICT-negative samples, RT-PCR detected 10 (12.5%) additional positives. These findings suggest a slightly higher prevalence of Plasmodium in males. Conclusion: The infection rate was marginally higher in males across all diagnostic modalities. Microscopy, supplemented by ICT, effectively identified both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. However, RT-PCR remains the most sensitive method, capable of detecting infections missed by conventional tests.