Plasmodium vivax 4 04.jpg

Taxonomy: f. Plasmodidae
Animal: Plasmodium vivax 4 04.jpg
Sites: Blood
Comment:
Plasmodium vivax in thicker part of thin film - ring form distorted. It is best to examine the thin film in the area of ideal thickness, however, not always possible to detect the parasites in this area. The ring (1/3 red cell) is larger than a P.falciarum ring (1/6 rd cell). However, if there are very few rings, one can't exclude P.falciparum infection or a mixed infection, repeat blood examination 12 hours later may assist in diagnosis as older stages may be present then. Accurate species identification is essential for correct treatment to be administered and a thin film examination is essential to ensure this-- additional information such as the infected red cells being enlarged and pale with Schuffner's dots present assists the diagnosis. (See parasitology textbooks such as Garcia and Bruckner 1997 for details)

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