Abstract: AIM:To establish a PCR- based method to detect and differentiate Plasmodium vivax (P.v) and Plasmodium
falciparum(P.f) in blood samples in a single amplification reaction. METHODS: Three primers were designed according
to the asexual stage plasmodial SSUr RNA gene and different sizes of PCR products were yield by PCR including a 341
bp product for P.v and a 431 bp product for P.f. RESULTS:The PCR- based method was successfully in dectecting P.v
and P.f infection in a single PCR reaction, which was specific and sensitive enough to detect parasitemia level as low as 2.56×10^-7 for P.v and 1.08×10^-5 for P.f. 69 P.v infection and two P.f infection blood samples were all positive by the PCR and 20 normal blood samples were all negative. CONCLUSION: The PCR was specific and sensitive in the detection of P.v and P.f infections.

Key words: Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium falciparum, polymerase chain reaction, diagnosis