Preparation of a Blood Smear for Malaria Microscopy

There are two kinds of blood film that are being used in malaria microscopy, the thick film which is always used to search for malaria parasites and the thin film for the confirmation of species.

The thick film consists of several layers of red and white blood cells of about 10 to 20 times that of a thin film.  The hemoglobin in the red blood cells are dissolved during staining, thus a large amount of blood can be examined quickly and easily.  It is in this film also where parasites are counted when present.

A well prepared thin film consists of a single layer of red and white blood cells that is spread over half the slide.  The film is fixed with methanol before staining to preserve the morphological characteristics of the cells making specie identification easier when cannot be done in the thick film.


Blood Smear Preparation for Malaria Microscopy