What is Malarial Antigen detection ( Vivax And Falciparum )?
The malarial falciparum and vivax antigen test detect malaria antigens in the blood sample. Malaria is an infectious disease that is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is caused by infection is a species of the Plasmodium parasite. P. falciparum infections are associated with cerebral malaria and drug resistance whereas P. vivax infection is associated with a high rate of infectivity and relapse. Your doctor may recommend this test if you suffer from symptoms like fever, headache, shaking chills, and vomiting. A positive result indicates infection with the parasite while a negative result is suggestive of no infection.
Why is Malarial Antigen (Vivax & Falciparum) Detection done?
The Malarial Falciparum and Vivax Antigen test is done
- If you have signs or symptoms suggestive of malaria-like fever with shaking chills, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, profuse sweating, and headache
- As a part of the fever panel
What does Malarial Antigen (Vivax & Falciparum) Detection Measure?
The Malarial Falciparum and Vivax antigen test is a rapid diagnostic test that detects the presence of malarial antigen in the blood sample. Malaria is an infectious disease that is caused by a species of Plasmodium parasite. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito (female anopheles). The species which cause infections in humans include Plasmodium Vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium falciparum.
This malarial infection may rarely pass from a woman to her baby during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Also, the chances of the spread of infection are very low through blood transfusion, sharing of contaminated needles or syringes, and organ transplants.
When an infected mosquito bites a person, the parasites enter the blood and travel to the liver. After a person is infected it takes about 7-30 days for the eggs to mature. The parasites enter the red blood cells of a person where they multiply inside these cells. These cells burst within 48 to 72 hours which leads to the occurrence of symptoms of malaria.
The disease can relapse in case the infection is caused by P. vivax and P. ovale species. This is because these parasites can remain inoperative in the liver before they enter again into the blood and may take up to months and even years for the symptoms to appear.
If the malarial infection is not treated, it can cause severe illness and even death. The species likely to cause life-threatening disease is P. falciparum.
