▁to ▁be ▁highly ▁specific ▁and ▁sensitive . ▁Although ▁ser olog ic ▁tests ▁are ▁not ▁specific ▁enough ▁for ▁di agnostic ▁purposes , ▁they ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁basic ▁ep ide mi olog ic ▁tools . ▁The ▁imm un of lu ores cent - ant ib ody ▁( I FA ) ▁technique ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁measure ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁ant ib od ies ▁to ▁P . ▁mal aria e .. ▁A ▁pattern ▁has ▁emer ged ▁in ▁which ▁an ▁in fection ▁of ▁short ▁duration ▁causes ▁a ▁rapidly ▁decl ining ▁imm une ▁response , ▁but ▁upon ▁re - in fection ▁or ▁rec r udes c ence , ▁the ▁I FA ▁level ▁r ises ▁significantly ▁and ▁remains ▁present ▁for ▁many ▁months ▁or ▁years . ▁ ▁The ▁increasing ▁need ▁to ▁correctly ▁identify ▁P . ▁mal aria e ▁in fection ▁is ▁unders cor ed ▁by ▁its ▁possible ▁anti - mal arial ▁resistance . ▁In ▁a ▁study ▁by ▁Müller - St ö ver ▁et ▁al ., ▁the ▁research ers ▁presented ▁three ▁patients ▁who ▁were ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁inf ected ▁with ▁the ▁par as ite ▁after ▁taking ▁anti - mal arial ▁medic ations . ▁Given ▁the ▁slower ▁pre - ery th ro cy t ic ▁development ▁and ▁longer ▁inc ub ation ▁period ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁mal aria ▁causing ▁Pl as mod ium ▁species , ▁the ▁research ers ▁hypoth es ized ▁that ▁the ▁anti - mal arial s ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁effective ▁enough ▁against ▁the ▁pre - ery th ro cy t ic ▁stages ▁of ▁P . ▁mal aria e .