Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium , which is a single-celled eukaryotic microorganism.

What kind of pathogen is it?

  • Malaria is not caused by a virus, bacterium, or fungus, but by a parasitic protozoan.
  • These protozoa are single-celled parasites that live part of their life cycle in humans and part in mosquitoes.

The specific pathogen: Plasmodium

  • The main Plasmodium species infecting humans include P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi.
  • P. falciparum and P. vivax are the most common and pose the greatest health threat worldwide.

How malaria spreads

  • The protozoan parasite is transmitted through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, which act as vectors.
  • When the mosquito bites, Plasmodium parasites enter the bloodstream, first infecting liver cells and then red blood cells.

TL;DR: Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite, Plasmodium , transmitted to humans by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.