What would the treatment be if the patient has tested positive for malaria?

Medications. The most common antimalarial drugs include: Chloroquine phosphate. Chloroquine is the preferred treatment for any parasite that is sensitive to the drug.

How is malaria test carried out in the laboratory?

Malaria parasites can be identified by examining under the microscope a drop of the patient’s blood, spread out as a “blood smear” on a microscope slide. Prior to examination, the specimen is stained (most often with the Giemsa stain) to give the parasites a distinctive appearance.

What treatment is given to a malarial patient?

The preferred antimalarial for interim oral treatment is artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem™) because of its fast onset of action. Other oral options include atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone™), quinine, and mefloquine.

What equipment would be most useful in diagnosing malaria?

Microscopy is the most widely used laboratory-based diagnostic test for malaria, and it likely will remain the test of choice for some time. In this technique, two drops of blood, typically obtained from a finger pricked by a metal lancet, are placed on a glass microscope slide.

What is prevention and treatment of malaria?

There’s currently no vaccine available that offers protection against malaria, so it’s very important to take antimalarial medication to reduce your chances of getting the disease. However, antimalarials only reduce your risk of infection by about 90\%, so taking steps to avoid bites is also important.

When should malaria test be done?

You may need this test if you live or have recently traveled to an area where malaria is common and you have symptoms of malaria. Most people will have symptoms within 14 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito.

How is malaria spread?

How is malaria transmitted? Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken from an infected person.

What is the prevention and treatment of malaria?

How is falciparum malaria treated?

The following is a summary of general recommendations for the treatment of malaria: P falciparum malaria – Quinine-based therapy is with quinine (or quinidine) sulfate plus doxycycline or clindamycin or pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine; alternative therapies are artemether-lumefantrine, atovaquone-proguanil, or mefloquine.

How can a CBC detect malaria?

Other tests Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This test detects parasite nucleic acids and identifies the species of malaria parasite. Complete blood count (CBC). This checks for anemia or evidence of other possible infections.

What are the prevention and control of malaria?

Bite prevention – avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, covering your arms and legs, and using a mosquito net. Check whether you need to take malaria prevention tablets – if you do, make sure you take the right antimalarial tablets at the right dose, and finish the course.