We compared a nested PCR assay and microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood films for detection and identification of Plasmodium spp. in blood specimens. PCR was more sensitive than microscopy and capable of identifying malaria parasites at the species level when microscopy was equivocal.
Division of Parasitic Diseases, M.S. F-36, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA. sjohnston@cdc.gov
