Malaria is caused by which parasite?

Malaria is caused by which parasite?

• A. Plasmodium vivax
• B. Plasmodium falciparum
• C. Trypanosoma brucei
• D. Leishmania donovani

Answer: (B)

Malaria comes from infection with Plasmodium parasites transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Among the options, Plasmodium falciparum is the best answer because it is the species most strongly linked to severe disease and deaths from malaria. It causes higher parasite loads and can lead to cerebral malaria, severe anemia, and multi-organ failure. Its red blood cells can adhere to blood vessel walls, a feature that promotes sequestration and makes the infection harder to clear, contributing to its virulence. Plasmodium vivax also causes malaria, but it generally leads to a milder illness and has dormant liver stages that can relapse. The other two organisms are not malaria parasites; Trypanosoma brucei causes African sleeping sickness, and Leishmania donovani causes visceral leishmaniasis.

Malaria comes from infection with Plasmodium parasites transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Among the options, Plasmodium falciparum is the best answer because it is the species most strongly linked to severe disease and deaths from malaria. It causes higher parasite loads and can lead to cerebral malaria, severe anemia, and multi-organ failure. Its red blood cells can adhere to blood vessel walls, a feature that promotes sequestration and makes the infection harder to clear, contributing to its virulence.

Plasmodium vivax also causes malaria, but it generally leads to a milder illness and has dormant liver stages that can relapse. The other two organisms are not malaria parasites; Trypanosoma brucei causes African sleeping sickness, and Leishmania donovani causes visceral leishmaniasis.