@article{fdi:010060771,
  title = {{S}tatistical properties of parasite density estimators in malaria},
  author = {{H}ammami, {I}. and {N}uel, {G}. and {G}arcia, {A}ndr{\'e}},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{M}alaria is a global health problem responsible for nearly one million deaths every year around 85% of which concern children younger than five years old in {S}ub-{S}aharan {A}frica. {I}n addition, around 300 million clinical cases are declared every year. {T}he level of infection, expressed as parasite density, is classically defined as the number of asexual parasites relative to a microliter of blood. {M}icroscopy of {G}iemsa-stained thick blood films is the gold standard for parasite enumeration. {P}arasite density estimation methods usually involve threshold values; either the number of white blood cells counted or the number of high power fields read. {H}owever, the statistical properties of parasite density estimators generated by these methods have largely been overlooked. {H}ere, we studied the statistical properties (mean error, coefficient of variation, false negative rates) of parasite density estimators of commonly used threshold-based counting techniques depending on variable threshold values. {W}e also assessed the influence of the thresholds on the cost-effectiveness of parasite density estimation methods. {I}n addition, we gave more insights on the behavior of measurement errors according to varying threshold values, and on what should be the optimal threshold values that minimize this variability.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {e51987},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0051987},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060771},
}