Malaria, falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan parasite, one of the species of Plasmodium that cause malaria in humans. It is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. P. falciparum is the most dangerous of these infections as P. falciparum malaria has the highest rates of complications and mortality. In addition it accounts for 80% of all human malarial infections and 90% of the deaths. It is more prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions of the world.
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The most dangerous type of malaria. Persons carrying the sickle cell gene have some protection against malaria. Persons with a gene for hemoglobin C (another abnormal hemoglobin like sickle hemoglobin), thalassemia trait or deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) are thought also to have partial protection against malaria.