To diagnose malaria, your doctor will likely review your medical history, conduct a physical exam and order blood tests. Blood tests are the only way to confirm a malaria diagnosis. Certain blood tests can help your doctor by showing: 1. The presence of the parasite in the blood, to confirm that you have malaria 2. Which type of malaria parasite is causing your symptoms 3. If your infection is caused by a parasite resistant to certain drugsOther blood tests help determine whether the disease.
The mainstay of malaria diagnosis has been the microscopic examination of blood, utilizing blood films. Although blood is the sample most frequently used to make a diagnosis, both saliva and urine have been investigated as alternative, less invasive specimens. More recently, modern techniques utilizing antigen tests or polymerase chain reactionhave been discovered, though these are not widely implemented in malaria endemic regions.