Malaria: Understanding the Cause - Protist Parasite Explained

Malaria is caused by a protist. Specifically, it is caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium. There are five species of Plasmodium that can cause malaria in humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. The most common and most deadly species is P. falciparum which is responsible for over 90% of malaria cases worldwide.