Plasmodium falciparum life cycle 1: Mosquito bite, transmission of sporozoite 2: Liver, Asexual replication. 1 sporozoite → 10-30,000 merozoites 3: Blood, Merozoites infect RBC and become trophozoites and consume Hgb. RBC ruptures releasing merozoites. 4: Merozoites infect other RBCs or transform into gametocytes 5: Transmission to mosquito. Sexual reproduction to make ookinete and sporozoite that migrates to mosquito salivary gland. BWH Medicine Chiefs @BrighamChiefs #Plasmodium #falciparum #lifecycle #diagnosis #infection
