The burden of this disease falls heaviest among children below the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa.
Malaria is caused by four species of Plasmodium, a unicellular protozoan.
Of these species, P. falciparum accounts for the preponderance of morbidity and mortality globally. The interval between infection and the time that the malaria parasites are detectable in the peripheral blood. The interval between infection and the time that symptoms first appear. The amount of time necessary for merozites to invade an erythrocyte, asexually reproduce inside of the erythrocyte, and burst the erythrocyte releasing more merozoites. One of the symptoms of malaria is periodic bouts of fever.