Abstract: 　AIM: To establish a modified polymerase chain reaction(PCR) method for the detection of Plasmodium vivax in the endemic areas of malaria and compare the method with the conventional light microscopy in the field.METHODS: A PCR method was modified by improving the collection procedures of blood samples, template extraction, primer design and optimizing the reaction condition. The method was evaluated by examining blood samples from 310 patients with vivax malaria and compared with the conventional light microscopy in endemic areas of Hainan Province. RESULTS: The positive rates of the modified PCR method and microscopic method were 34.2% and 31.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The modified PCR method is simple, sensitive and specific for the detection of vivax malaria patients in endemic areas. \;

Key words: Plasmodium vivax, PCR, detection