QUESTION My uncle has been ill since returning from Belize, where he was bitten by multiple mosquitoes. He has every symptom of malaria, and did a malaria antibody IgG test, which came back high at 1.49 that was ordered by his primary care physician. He has now been to a hematologist/oncologist and even an infections disease doctor who have both ignored the lab result. He has since done … [Read more...]
What Cell count defines malaria?
QUESTION What Cell count defines malaria?? ANSWER If you are referring to the cell count for diagnosis, then really the answer is that if ANY malaria parasites are observed in a blood film, then the slide should be considered positive for malaria. Of course, some people can have low levels of parasite in their blood, which are not easily detected under a microscope, using a blood slide. … [Read more...]
Multiple Malaria Infections Each Year
QUESTION My name is Olumide and I live in Nigeria. I have had malaria too frequently and it's giving me a lot of concern. I had one last August 2012 and am having another one this October as I am speaking with you. If I should count it, I'll be having nothing less than 6 occurrences in a year. It's always an headache induced malaria whereby after using the ACT combination recommended by WHO, … [Read more...]
Positive RDT After Malaria Treatment
QUESTION I have Pv malaria repeated 2 times in two month then doctor give arthemether, lumefantrine tablet for three days twice in a day and primaquine tablet for 14 days..after this treatment malaria show positive on rapid test by a faint line....what is this? ANSWER It sounds like your doctor has treated you appropriately. What the line on the rapid test means depends a bit on the type … [Read more...]
Empty Stomach for Malaria Test?
QUESTION Do we have to go empty stomach for test of malaria? ANSWER No - for a malaria test, they will take your blood and either look at it under the microscope or use it in a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for malaria. Neither of these tests will be affected by whether you eat or not. … [Read more...]
Malaria Self-Diagnosis
QUESTION: I live in Nigeria and was wondering if there are ways to find out if I malaria without going to the doctor or a hospital? ANSWER: The current "gold-standard" for malaria diagnosis, at least of active infections, is through microscropy, where a trained technician looks at a droplet of your blood on a slide, and sees if any of your red blood cells are infected with the malaria … [Read more...]