Malaria Test: About This Test

This test looks for a parasite in your blood that causes malaria. Malaria is a serious disease that can be fatal if left untreated. Different types of these parasites can cause different symptoms. And some types can be more serious than others. This test may be able to tell which type is causing the disease.

You can get these parasites when an infected mosquito bites you. Malaria is common in most of the tropics, including countries in South Asia, the South Pacific, parts of Central and South America, and areas of Africa.

This test may also be called a test for plasmodium, which is the name of the group of parasites that cause malaria.

This test may be done if you have been to an area where malaria is common and you have symptoms of the disease. Symptoms often appear 10 days to a month after infection.

Symptoms may include:

• A fever.
• Chills.
• A headache.
• Sweating.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Fatigue.
• Body aches.
• Generally feeling sick.

You may have this test if you have an unexplained fever and it's possible that you have malaria, even if other tests for malaria were negative. You may also need this test when donating blood to make sure your blood is safe.

In general, there is nothing you have to do before this test, unless your doctor tells you to.

A health professional uses a needle to take a blood sample, usually from the arm. The sample is prepared on a glass slide and looked at under a microscope.

• You don’t have any malaria parasites in your blood.

• You have malaria parasites in your blood, and you may have malaria.

Having the test too soon after becoming infected may give a false-negative result. This means the test did not detect the malaria parasite even though it’s present.

• You may get the test results the same day or within 24 hours.
• If the first test does not show malaria, your doctor may order more tests every 12 to 24 hours.
• If you do have malaria, it will be treated with medicines right away. The medicine you get will depend on the area where you were bitten by an infected mosquito, the type of malaria you have, and your age and health.

You may also have a rapid test that can diagnose malaria quickly. In some cases, you may need other blood tests to check for problems that malaria can cause. Your doctor will likely order:

• A complete blood count.
• A blood chemistry test that looks at electrolytes and kidney and liver function.