Background: In India, malaria persist throughout the year and usually the incidence is more during rainy season. This necessitates the use of other laboratory methods to clinch the diagnosis, which is important in view of frequent relapses reported in vivax malaria and hence there is need for radical treatment. Considering all the above factors, a need is felt to evaluate the available lab diagnostic procedures for malaria, and also to know the trend of malaria epidemic at Warangal.

Methods: It was a prospective study, conducted in the department of Microbiology, KMC Warangal. Paediatric age group with fever with chills and rigors followed by sweating were included in this research. Blood sample was collected thick and thin blood smears were prepared, stained by JSB or Leishmans or Giemsa. Parasight 'F' test and OptiMAL tests were used to detect the antigen. Chi square test was used to find the correlation between the parameters.

Results: Total 300 blood samples were collected, malaria positivity was 24%, male female ratio was 1.05, statistically there was no significant difference. In area wise malaria positivity also statistically there was no significant difference. Age wise, maximum cases were diagnosed in 6 – 10 years group. Parasight F test was identified to be highly sensitive in the diagnosis of malaria among the paediatric age group.

Conclusion: Falciparum malaria is identified to be the commonest malaria in this area which effect all the paediatric age groups and gender. Parasight F test was found to be the better technique in malaria diagnosis.