Quinine Quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to "Plasmodium falciparum" that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While used for restless legs syndrome, it is not recommended for this purpose due to the risk of side effects. It can be taken by mouth or used intravenously. Malaria resistance to quinine occurs in certain areas of the world. Quinine is also the ingredient in tonic water that gives it its bitter taste. Common side effects include headache, ringing in the ears, trouble seeing, and sweating. More severe
Diagnosis of malaria microscope and centrifuge that can be deployed to rural areas in the third world. "Plasmodium malariae" and "P. knowlesi" (which is the most common cause of malaria in South-east Asia) look very similar under the microscope. However, "P. knowlesi" parasitemia increases very fast and causes more severe disease than "P. malariae", so it is important to identify and treat infections quickly. Therefore, modern methods such as PCR (see "Molecular methods" below) or monoclonal antibody panels that can distinguish between the two should be used in this part of the world. For areas where microscopy is not available, or where laboratory