QUESTION

What is the parasite of malaria?

ANSWER

Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. There are four main types of malaria which infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale. P. ovale additionally can be split into two  sub-species, P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri. Each of these five kinds has a subtly different life cycle which results in slight variations in symptoms and also in treatment, so knowing which one a person has is important for choosing the most appropriate treatment.  For more information on this, see our website http://www.malaria.com/overview/malaria-symptoms-causes.