Malaria: Understanding the Cause – Virus, Bacteria, or Protist?

Malaria is caused by a protist of the genus Plasmodium. There are six species of Plasmodium that cause malaria in humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, P. knowlesi, and P. cynomolgi. P. falciparum is the most deadly species, causing the most severe form of malaria, known as cerebral malaria.