Laboratory Diagnosis:
The first step toward diagnosis (and treatment) of malaria is to consider malaria in the differential diagnosis!

Diagnostic findings

• Microscopic identification is the method most frequently used to demonstrate an active infection.
• Microscopy findings
• Comparison of Plasmodium species
• Molecular diagnosis techniques can complement microscopy, especially in species identification.
• Antibody Detection can detect past (not necessarily active) infections.
• Immunologic/Biochemical detection of malaria parasite products are available and under evaluation.
• Bench aids for Malaria

Treatment:
Treatment varies according to the infecting species, the geographic area where the infection was acquired, and the severity of the disease.  A complete guide for treatment of malaria can be found in The Medical Letter, as well as on the Division of Parasitic Diseases Web site (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/malaria/factsht_malaria_drugs.htm).