Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
Haematology
MF BY CARD is a rapid strip test for lymphatic filariasis that looks for a protein made by the adult worm, not the microfilariae it releases into your blood. A finger-prick or vein sample runs across an antibody-coated strip, and a second line appears within about ten to twenty minutes if that antigen is present. Because the target is the adult worm's antigen rather than the microfilariae, which surge into blood mainly between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., this sample can be collected during a normal daytime visit. That single difference is why clinics use the card format for quick screening and lean on microscopy when they need to confirm an active, circulating parasite.
The report gives a positive or negative result for circulating filarial antigen from Wuchereria bancrofti, the species behind most lymphatic filariasis in India. A positive line means the antigen was detected; it does not count how many parasites are present or say which stage the infection has reached. Some kits grade line intensity as faint, moderate, or strong, which can hint at antigen load without being a precise measurement. Your doctor reads this result alongside your symptoms, exam findings, and, if needed, a follow-up blood smear.
Lymphatic filariasis is caused by thread-like worms that settle into the lymphatic system for years and spread through mosquito bites. Adult worms release microfilariae into the bloodstream, but they also shed a separate antigen that circulates continuously, day and night. MF BY CARD is built around that second signal.
Traditional microscopy for filariasis depends on catching microfilariae at the hours they peak in blood, usually at night, which makes daytime testing unreliable for that method. The card test sidesteps this because circulating antigen from the adult worm is present around the clock, so a sample taken at a routine morning visit works as well as one taken at midnight.
Because it needs no microscope, no stain, and no specially trained reader, the card format has been used for large-scale filariasis screening programs, including in parts of India where the disease is endemic. It trades one thing for the other: a fast answer that confirms exposure to the adult worm's antigen, rather than a count of microfilariae, which a different test is built to measure directly.
- Detects: circulating filarial antigen from the adult worm - Sample timing: any time of day, no night draw needed - Turnaround: roughly ten to twenty minutes
MF BY CARD is a rapid antibody strip test that detects a protein from the adult worm and can be run any time of day. MICROFILARIA (MF) is a microscopy test that looks for the microfilariae themselves in a blood smear, usually collected at night.
No. Because this test detects circulating antigen rather than microfilariae, it doesn't depend on the parasite's nighttime peak, so a sample given during the day works fine.
The strip typically shows a result within about ten to twenty minutes of the sample being applied. No overnight wait or lab processing is needed.
A positive line means filarial antigen was detected in your blood, which points toward an active adult worm infection. Your doctor will interpret it alongside your symptoms and may order further tests.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Not precisely. It gives a positive or negative result, and while some kits show a stronger or fainter line, that isn't a reliable measure of how many parasites are present.
There's no special preparation described for this test. Ask your doctor or the centre if you have specific questions before your visit.
The card test is faster, needs no microscope or trained reader, and doesn't require a night sample. That makes it convenient for initial screening before deciding whether microscopy is needed.