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What is a Malarial Falciparum and Vivax Antigen (Parasite V & F) test?
A malarial falciparum and vivax antigen test is a type of diagnostic test, which differentiates between and confirms the presence of two of the most common causative agents of malaria in your body - Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax.
Plasmodium is a parasitic organism that lives in the salivary glands of female anopheles mosquitoes. It is transmitted to our body through mosquito bites. Soon as the parasite enters our body, it produces specific proteins (antigens) that cause acute fever-like symptoms.
There are four species of Plasmodium that can cause malaria. These are P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale. Every species produces a specific type of antigen.
This test looks for the malaria antigen in the body and it also discerns the type of antigen present in the body to find the causative species. It is usually done by taking blood from a vein in the arm, though, in some places, a rapid test is used. A sample for a rapid test is taken by fingerprick and it gives results within 15 minutes.
Every year, nearly 210 million people are infected by the malarial parasite, and around 440,000 people die from the disease. Infection due to P. falciparum is the most severe of all malaria antigens. P. vivax can remain inactive in the liver for several months, and relapse of the infection may occur even after a year of transmission.
