The quality of field malaria diagnosis in Iranshahr, Iran.

Malaria is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world. Convenient diagnosis of the disease in endemic area is essential for appropriate follow-up and treatment of the disease. Standard thick and thin blood smears examined under the microscope still remains the most reliable and definitive method for diagnosis of malaria1,2. It has been shown that performance of quality control programme for malaria diagnosis is necessary for appropriate diagnosis of the disease3,4. In Iranshahr which is one of the most important malaria endemic areas in Iran, the disease is diagnosed by preparation and examination of thick and thin blood smears. Investigations were carried out in Iranshahr, Iran to evaluate the quality of malaria diagnosis by examining blood smears collected routinely in the field.