Tests for malaria parasites

Malaria is a common disease in our country. The use of diagnostic tests to determine the outcome of infection. The test for malaria parasites in the blood is a very classic test, basic and easy to perform, easy to deploy down to grassroots medical units.

In our country, there are two main types of malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Plasmodium falciparum often causes severe malaria, while Plasmodium vivax often causes malaria, but there are still cases of malignancy.
In malaria endemic areas, the diagnosis is relatively simple, because just having a typical malaria attack, the patient will immediately go to the health station to check the blood and receive anti-malarial drugs.
However, the symptoms of malaria are sometimes atypical or because the infected person is someone who travels from another place to the endemic area and then returns to his/her place of residence. When the patient has a fever, being hospitalized will cause difficulties in diagnosis. if you do not specify the places you have been to, let the doctor examine you. There have been many very unfortunate deaths due to late detection.

The test for malaria parasites in the blood is a very classic test, basic and easy to perform, easy to deploy down to grassroots medical units.
Just take a drop of blood from the patient's fingertip for peripheral smear (thick drop and thin drop), fix on slide and stain with giemsa to look for parasites under the microscope.
In malaria endemic areas or at higher-level hospitals, when receiving patients from endemic areas, doctors must immediately perform this test as a basic test upon admission.

Testing for malaria parasites has developed continuously according to the general progress of science and technology. In addition to the classic diagnostic technique of malaria parasites is microscopy of stained blood. Up to now, a rapid antigen diagnostic technique has been developed.
Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria (RDTs: rapid diagnostic tests) are determined by many different serological diagnostic methods, in which the method of detecting the antigens of the malaria parasite is often applied because convenient.
Antigen is histidine-rich protein-2 PfHRP-2 (histidine-rich protein 2 of P. falciparum): This antigen circulating in the body's blood circulation system is produced by the asexual and gametophytic organisms of P. falciparum. malaria parasites during development.
The anti-PfHPR-2 monoclonal antibody is pre-fixed on the adsorption band. Under the action of buffer and antiserum, an immune reaction will occur and the results will be recorded. These tests detect only the malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.
Antigen is lactate dehydrogenase enzyme LDH: In the blood of infected people with malaria parasites, there are antigens of malaria parasites, when exposed to test strips with antibodies specific for antigens, results will be obtained.
This test has the advantage of detecting all four species of human malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale.
On the test strip, there is a line of monoclonal antibody against human serum as a control line, a line of monoclonal malaria-specific antibodies positive for Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and one line antibodies specific to Plasmodium falciparum.
In addition, to study drug resistance as well as to distinguish between recurrent and re-infected malaria, DNA sequence amplification, also known as PCR, is used. However, this technique requires expensive equipment and skilled human resources, so far only a few medical facilities at higher levels can perform.
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading medical doctors, modern equipment and technology, but also stands out for its examination and consultation services. comprehensive and professional medical consultation and treatment; civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space. Customers when choosing to perform tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of test results.