The Food and Drug Administration said the Binax Now test, made by a unit of Inverness Medical Innovations Inc., was faster and easier to use than older methods.

Standard laboratory tests require identifying malaria parasites in a blood sample under a microscope, the FDA said.

The new test provides results from a few drops of blood placed on a dipstick, and can differentiate between the most dangerous malaria parasite and less virulent forms, the FDA said. Results should be confirmed with standard microscopic evaluation.

The Binax Now test was 95 percent accurate compared with microscopic diagnosis, the FDA said.

Deaths can be prevented if malaria is diagnosed and treated early.