What are the Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment?
Diagnosis of relapsing malaria can be challenging due to the intermittent nature of the symptoms. Standard diagnostic methods, such as microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), may fail to detect low-level parasitemia during asymptomatic periods. Advanced techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are more sensitive but less accessible in resource-limited settings.
Treatment involves addressing both the blood and liver stages of the parasite. The blood-stage infection is typically treated with antimalarials such as chloroquine or artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). The liver-stage hypnozoites require primaquine or, in some cases, tafenoquine. However, issues like drug resistance and G6PD deficiency complicate treatment protocols.
