Blood Smear of Malaria Positive Blood

This blood smear shows human blood positive for malaria infection, with a Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte (the sexual form of the most lethal of the malaria parasite species) right in the center. The small dots scattered around are due to schizonts typical of P. vivax, the strain that is infamous for latent infections due to the hypnozoite form of parasite it can form in the liver (which is why is is important to keep taking your antimalarial drugs even after you have finished traveling to malaria-ridden regions) . The image is courtesy of Mr. Ramjee, Ms. Ganesha Mahadeo, and Ms. Zoya Hossenbaccus of the University of Mauritius.