OVERVIEW
The malarial parasite — Four species of the malarial parasite infect man. The severity of hematologic disease is related to the ability of the parasites to invade and grow in different red cell populations as well as the intrinsic growth rate of the parasite.
●P. vivax and P. ovale have a strong preference to infect only young red cells (reticulocytes), thereby limiting parasitemia levels to approximately 1 to 2 percent [1]. Anemia due to hemolysis does occur and may be severe, but there is no peripheral sequestration of parasitized red cells.