Laboratory Diagnosis Methods of Malaria Infection

To manage and control malaria- one of the most important infectious diseases in tropical and subtropical regions- a quick and accurate malaria diagnosis method is necessary as a high priority. For this purpose, several methods have been developed. Currently, examining the peripheral blood slide with an optical microscope as a gold standard method, and rapid diagnosis method are used in malaria endemic areas. This article reviews the existing methods and the possible future options to improve the diagnosis of malaria.

To prepare the present review article, English language articles with no limitation in publication date were reviewed by searching keywords including malaria diagnosis, microscopic and molecular methods, RDT,Nested- PCR, and LAMP in PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Among the collected articles, the most relevant research articles were selected and reviewed.

Despite its limitations, direct observation of peripheral blood smears with a light microscope is still considered the gold standard method for malaria diagnosis. Another malaria diagnosis method is the rapid diagnostic test (RDT), which is a quick and cheap alternative for malaria diagnosis in endemic areas. Regarding malaria elimination programs, the diagnosis of Plasmodium in individuals without symptoms of malaria is challenging as they are generally not detected by routine methods such as peripheral blood smear and rapid diagnostic tests. For this reason, molecular methods are suitable for use in the endemic areas under elimination. Novel techniques that are beneficial in malaria research can replace the usual diagnostic methods in the future.