Malaria Test Price in Pakistan: PKR 630 at Marham Lab

Malaria is caused by a parasite spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. WHO describes it as a life threatening disease that is both preventable and curable, and notes the infection does not spread from person to person. At Marham Lab a malarial parasite test costs PKR 630.

Test Early, Because Falciparum Moves Fast

WHO states that left untreated, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.

It also notes the first symptoms may be mild and similar to many other febrile illnesses, making malaria difficult to recognise, and that because the symptoms are not specific, getting tested early is important. Symptoms usually begin 10 to 15 days after an infected mosquito bite, most commonly as fever, headache and chills.

WHO adds that symptoms may be mild in people who have had malaria before. A previous infection is not protection, and a mild fever in someone with past malaria still deserves a test.

Emergency Signs

WHO lists severe symptoms that need emergency care right away, not a lab booking:

• Extreme tiredness and fatigue
• Impaired consciousness
• Multiple convulsions
• Difficulty breathing
• Dark or bloody urine
• Jaundice, meaning yellowing of the eyes and skin
• Abnormal bleeding

WHO is explicit that people with severe symptoms should get emergency care immediately, and that treating mild malaria early is what stops it becoming severe.

MP or ICT: Which Malaria Test

WHO recommends that all suspected cases of malaria be confirmed using parasite-based diagnostic testing, through either microscopy or a rapid diagnostic test. Marham Lab offers both.

There is a real limitation to rapid tests worth knowing. WHO explains that most rapid diagnostic tests target one or two specific proteins produced by P. falciparum, called HRP2 and HRP3, and that parasites carrying genetic mutations which prevent these proteins being made are not detected by these tests. WHO reports such mutated parasites in 42 malaria endemic countries in 2024.

The practical consequence: a negative rapid test in someone with a convincing fever does not close the question. If your doctor is still suspicious, microscopy or a repeat test is the next step. Follow what they ask for rather than assuming one negative settles it.

Which Parasite, and Why It Changes Treatment

WHO notes five Plasmodium species infect humans, with P. falciparum and P. vivax posing the greatest threat. P. falciparum is the deadliest and most prevalent in Africa, while P. vivax is the dominant parasite in most countries outside sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Pakistan.

That distinction changes the medicine. WHO states artemisinin-based combination therapy is the most effective treatment for P. falciparum. Chloroquine is recommended for P. vivax only where the parasite is still sensitive to it. And primaquine should be added to the main treatment to prevent relapses of P. vivax and P. ovale infection.

Relapse is the point most people miss. Vivax can return weeks or months later from a dormant liver stage unless the additional medicine is taken, which is why finishing the whole course your doctor prescribes matters even after you feel well.

Who Is at Higher Risk

WHO lists infants, children under 5, pregnant women and girls, travellers, and people with HIV or AIDS as being at higher risk of severe infection.

It also notes malaria infection during pregnancy can cause premature delivery or a baby with low birth weight, which makes prompt testing in a pregnant woman with fever a priority rather than a wait-and-see.

Malaria or Dengue

Both are mosquito-borne and both start with fever, and in Pakistan they overlap through the same months. They are different infections with different treatment, and the mosquitoes even bite at different times. Doctors frequently order both a malaria test and a [dengue test](/labs/tests/dengue-test-price) on the same fever, along with a [complete blood count](/labs/tests/cbc-test-price). If your prescription lists more than one, book them together rather than choosing between them.

How to Prepare

No preparation is needed and you do not need to fast. If fever comes in waves, tell the phlebotomist when your fever peaks, since parasites are often easier to find in a sample taken during or shortly after a fever spike.

What Happens During the Test

A trained phlebotomist takes a small blood sample from a vein in your arm using a fine needle. It takes under five minutes. In Lahore the sample can be collected at your home, which matters when someone has a high fever and should be resting.

اردو میں

ملیریا ایک پرجیوی یعنی پیراسائٹ سے ہونے والا مرض ہے جو مچھر کے کاٹنے سے پھیلتا ہے۔ علامات عام طور پر کاٹنے کے دس سے پندرہ دن بعد شروع ہوتی ہیں، اور ان میں بخار، سر درد اور سردی لگنا شامل ہے۔

سب سے اہم بات۔ عالمی ادارہ صحت کے مطابق فیلسیپیرم ملیریا کا علاج نہ ہو تو یہ چوبیس گھنٹوں میں جان لیوا ہو سکتا ہے۔ اس لیے بخار میں دیر نہ کریں، جلد ٹیسٹ کروائیں۔

فوری ہسپتال جائیں اگر شدید تھکن ہو، ہوش میں کمی ہو، دورے پڑیں، سانس لینے میں دشواری ہو، پیشاب گہرا یا خون آمیز ہو، آنکھیں یا جلد پیلی ہوں، یا کہیں سے خون بہے۔

ٹیسٹ کے بارے میں ایک ضروری بات۔ ریپڈ یعنی آئی سی ٹی ٹیسٹ بعض اوقات ملیریا پکڑ نہیں پاتا، کیونکہ کچھ پیراسائٹ وہ پروٹین نہیں بناتے جو یہ ٹیسٹ تلاش کرتا ہے۔ اس لیے اگر رپورٹ منفی آئے مگر بخار برقرار رہے تو ڈاکٹر کو ضرور دکھائیں۔

ایک اور بات۔ پاکستان میں زیادہ تر وائیویکس ملیریا ہوتا ہے، جو مہینوں بعد دوبارہ ہو سکتا ہے اگر مکمل کورس نہ کیا جائے۔ طبیعت ٹھیک ہونے پر دوا بند نہ کریں۔ مرہم لیب میں ایم پی ٹیسٹ کی قیمت چھ سو تیس روپے ہے۔

Final Thoughts

Malaria is curable and the test is cheap, so the only real risk is delay. Test early in any unexplained fever, treat mild malaria before it becomes severe, and take the emergency signs seriously. Two things people get wrong: a negative rapid test does not always rule malaria out, and vivax malaria comes back if the full course including the relapse-prevention medicine is not completed.