Comparison of acridine orange and giemsa stains for malaria diagnosis.

Recently, the Acridine orange (AO) staining method has improved for identification of malaria parasites. Fixed and preserved blood smears of malaria patients were used for comparative analysis of AO and Giemsa stains. The AO staining method required less time and was more sensitive under lower magnification than the Giemsa staining method. The AO staining method provides an alternative to Giemsa for malaria diagnosis in the field and laboratory.