This photomicrograph of a blood smear reveals both a macrogametocyte (right), and microgametocyte of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. Photo credit: CDC/ Dr. Mae Melvin, via CDC Public Health Image Library. This image is in the public domain and thus free of any copyright restrictions. As a matter of courtesy we request that the content provider be credited and notified in any public or private usage of this image.

The genome sequence and gene models of Plasmodium falciparum were not determined by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), but were downloaded from NCBI on May 28, 2018. In order to allow comparative analyses with other genomes sequenced by the JGI, a copy of this genome is incorporated into the JGI Genome Portal. JGI tools were used to automatically annotate predicted proteins. Please note that this copy of the genome is not maintained by NCBI and is therefore not automatically updated.

The following text comes from NCBI Genome:

Plasmodium falciparum (malaria parasite P. falciparum)

The protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum is the causal agent of human malaria. This parasite has a very complex lifecycle, involving vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Infective forms (sporozoites) are transmitted to the human host during the mosquito Anopheles' blood meal. Malaria is a devastating parasitic disease; it infects 300 million people and kills up to three million people per year. More than half of the world population lives in areas where malaria is endemic. Malaria represents one of the most important public health problems worldwide. The parasite has developed resistance to anti-malarials and the mosquito hosts have developed resistance to insecticides.