Blood-Stage Immunity to Malaria

Abstract

The blood stage of the malaria parasite’s life-cycle is initiated when the merozoite form of the parasite is released from infected hepatocytes and invades red blood cells. Development and replication of the parasite occurs within the red blood cells, with the length of the replication cycle varying depending on the parasite species. It is during this stage of the infection that the typical symptoms of malaria occur and clinical disease can develop. Both asexual and sexual forms (gametocytes) of the parasite can be found within the red blood cells, with a small portion of the replicating asexual blood-stage parasites committing to gametocytogenesis, i.e., the formation of male and female gametocytes.