If a child presented with a haemoglobin level under 8 g/L, a thrombocyte count under 200 × 10E9/L and a CRP level over 100 mg/L, the odds of a positive malaria PCR sample was 4.8-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2–10.4) compared to children not fulfilling these criteria. Here, CRP is linked to malaria.