Malaria microscopic examination

Microscopic Examination

The simple diagnostic method for detection of malarial parasites used is a Microscopic examination of blood smears under the microscope. This method of diagnosis is mostly used in endemic countries.

Collected blood specimen is:

• Smeared on a glass slide
• Stained with special staining Giemsa or Romanowsky stain

Examined under a microscope:

On microscopic examination, detection and identification of different species of malarial parasite is done.

Thick blood smear examination is done first, as the concentration of parasite is more and on detection of the parasite, a thin film is made and examined under a microscope.

Thin smears are used for species identification of the parasite. Microscopic examination for malarial parasite has remained gold standard laboratory technique, but in some non-endemic countries, due to unfamiliarity with malaria they may miss the parasite.