Laboratory Diagnosis of Malaria

R apid and accurate diagnosis is a key to the success of an effective treatment of malaria. The global impact of malaria has spurred interest in developing diagnostic strategies that will be effective not only in resource-limited areas but also in developed countries, where expertise in malaria diagnosis is often lacking. Accurate diagnosis of malaria is necessary to prevent morbidity and mortality while avoiding the unnecessary use of antimalarial drugs. Currently, there are three direct methods for laboratory diagnosis of malaria which include microscopic examination of stained slides (Giemsa, Field, Wright, or acridine orange stained films), detection of parasite antigens (histidine-rich protein 2, plasmodial lactate dehydrogenase), and molecular biology methods (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex real-time PCR).