Plasmodium: Diagnosis
Laboratory Diagnosis
- Microscopy – detecting & identifying malarial parasites in peripheral blood films.
- Concentrating parasites in venous blood by centrifugation when they cannot be found in blood films
- Using a rapid malaria Ag or enzyme detection test
- Other tests – Hb, PCV, Blood glucose, total WBC & platelet count.
- Collection of blood
- Best prepared directly from capillary blood
- In EDTA bulb (used within 30 mins)
Time of collection
- As soon as possible if malaria is suspected
- Before administering antimalarials
- During pyrexia lphase
Types of blood Film
- Two types:
- 30 to 40 times more sensitive than thin films
- More suitable for detection of malarial parasite when they are few in number
- Blood is not fixed, RBCs are lysed during staining (only parasitic forms will be seen)
2. Thin films :
- To confirm the Plasmodium species
- Assists in the identification of mixed infections
- Blood is fixed, parasites are seen within the RBCs
- Also helps in assessing the response to treatment.
- Fixation – thin films are fixed with absolute alcohol for 1 to 2 mins.
- Staining – films are stained with Romanowsky stain: Giemsa, field’s, Wright’s
- Giemsa – 10% solution for 10 mins
Identifying Blood Film
- Trophozoites / ring forms
- Schizont(Not seen in Plasmodium falciparum)
- Gametocytes
Trophozoites / ring forms
|
Character |
P. vivax |
P. falciparum |
|
Size |
2.5µ (1/3rd of RBC) |
1.25 to 1.5 µ |
|
Cytoplasm |
Thick opposite to nucleus |
Uniform thickness |
|
Nucleus |
One/ ring |
Can have >1 |
|
Number of rings |
One ring/ RBC |
>1/ RBC |
|
Location in RBCs |
Always inside RBCs |
Inside as well as on the surface (accole’ forms) |
|
Type of RBC infected |
Preferentially young RBCs & reticulocytes |
All types |
|
Character |
P. vivax |
P. falciparum |
|
Size of RBC |
Increases to twice its size |
Does not change |
|
No of merozoites |
16 |
8 to 32 |
|
Arrangement of merozoites |
Symmetric in form of rosette |
Asymmetrical |
|
Presence in peripheral blood |
Present |
Absent |

Gametocytes
|
Character |
P. vivax |
P. falciparum |
|
Shape – Male Female |
Spherical Spherical |
Cresentic Sausage shaped |
|
Nucleus – M F |
Central, diffuse Peripheral,small |
Central, diffuse Central,compact |
|
Infected RBC |
Enlarged |
Deformed, with its membrane, stretched. |
Schüffner’s dots
- Exclusively found in Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax
- Morphologic alterations in infected host erythrocytes that are visible as multiple brick-red dots
- Fine granular precipitates or irregular cytoplasmic particles present in red blood cells infected with the trophozoites of Plasmodium falciparum
- On thin blood films
- When falciparum malaria parasitemia is high
- Select an area where no of RBCs is roughly 250.
- Count the no of parasitised RBCs in 4 such fields i.e. approximately 1000 RBCs.
- Divide by 10 to obtain the percentage.
- *WHO – if it is >5%, then the parasitemia is heavy & prognosis is poor.
Rapid Diagnostic Test
- Developed to diagnose falciparum malaria rapidly & without a microscope.
- Can also detect vivax malaria
- Immunochromatographic test
- Three tests are available commercially
- Detects HRP2 Ag (Histidine-rich protein) or specific pLDH (parasite lactate dehydrogenase) or Pan malarial plasmodium aldolase
- Both HRP2 & pLDH are produced by the parasites during their growth & differentiation in RBCs.
Exam Question
Laboratory Diagnosis
- Microscopy – detecting & identifying malarial parasites in peripheral blood films.
- Concentrating parasites in venous blood by centrifugation when they cannot be found in blood films
- Using a rapid malaria Ag or enzyme detection test
- Other tests – Hb, PCV, Blood glucose, total WBC & platelet count.
- To confirm the Plasmodium species
Identifying Blood Film
- Trophozoites / ring forms
- Schizont(Not seen in Plasmodium falciparum)
- Gametocytes
Schüffner’s dots
- Exclusively found in Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax
- Morphologic alterations in infected host erythrocytes that are visible as multiple brick-red dots
- Fine granular precipitates or irregular cytoplasmic particles present in red blood cells infected with the trophozoites of Plasmodium falciparum
Immunochromatographic test
- Three tests are available commercially
- Detects HRP2 Ag (Histidine-rich protein) or specific pLDH (parasite lactate dehydrogenase) or Pan malarial plasmodium aldolase
- Both HRP2 & pLDH are produced by the parasites during their growth & differentiation in RBCs.


