Malaria can be diagnosed through blood tests, including thick or thin films examined under a microscope or rapid diagnostic tests. Molecular, serological, and drug resistance tests can also be used. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, joint pain, vomiting, and anemia. Serology detects past infection, while drug resistance tests determine the best drug to kill the parasite.
There are several tests to diagnose malaria, including blood tests for initial diagnosis and molecular, serological, and drug resistance tests for further diagnosis and treatment planning. The goal of these tests is to look for parasites or antibodies in the blood. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by an organism of the genus Plasmodium. It is delivered via the bite of a mosquito and is mostly found in tropical areas of the world.
Malaria can take years to show symptoms, as the parasite that causes it can incubate for weeks to years in the liver. Eventually, the parasite multiplies in the red blood cells, typically causing symptoms that include fever, headache, and the classic indication of malaria, alternating between chills and fever every two to three days. Other symptoms include joint pain, vomiting, anemia and hemoglobin in the blood. In severe cases, seizures may occur.
One of the most reliable and inexpensive malaria tests is a blood test that uses thick or thin films of blood that can detect the presence of a malaria parasite. The films are placed under a microscope and examined by an experienced microscopist. Using thick film allows you to examine a large volume of blood, while thinner film allows for more detailed examination. Usually both are used.
In some areas it is not possible to access the microscope. In this case, a test known as a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) can be done. A drop of blood is taken with a finger stick and then placed on a sensitive rod. The rod then indicates with a color change whether malaria parasites are present. One disadvantage of GDR is that it cannot detect how many parasites there are and can also be more expensive than a blood test. The advantage is that it requires neither training nor a microscope to operate.
Another type of malaria testing is molecular diagnosis. It tests for the nucleic acids produced by the parasite using something called a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It’s a very sensitive test, but it’s very specialized and requires special equipment. It is normally used after a diagnosis of malaria to further clarify which species of the parasite is causing the disease. This allows you to prescribe the appropriate drug.
There are two other tests for malaria called serology and drug resistance. However, neither are helpful for initial diagnosis. Serology detects antibodies to malaria parasites, which is only effective for detecting past infection. Drug resistance tests are used to determine which type of drug will best kill a particular malaria parasite.
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