Field evaluation of a rapid-format kit for the diagnosis of bancroftian filariasis in Egypt.

The AMRAD-ICT Filariasis Test (ICT-Fil) is a new, rapid-format card test for the detection of bancroftian antigenaemia in human blood. We evaluated the performance of the test under field conditions in Egypt by comparing 1813 endemic and 102 nonendemic participants. Endemic participants were tested for microfilaraemia (thick smear and membrane filtration) and serum antigenaemia (ELISA). The infection rates detected were 2.8% by thick smear, 3.5% by membrane filtration, 8.8% by ELISA and 9.0% by ICT-Fil. The card test detected antigenaemia in 98.0% and 95.3% of microfilaraemia carriers testing positive by thick smear and blood filtration respectively. Nonendemic participants were ICT-Fil negative. Identical results were obtained for 173 out of 184 (94%) endemic participants tested by the serum and whole blood ICT-Fil versions.