Differences Between Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax

Malaria parasites are sporozoans and belongs to order Haemosporida. The genus Plasmodium has been subdivided into nine subgenera, of which three are found in mammals, four in birds and two in lizards. According to the classification, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae belong to the subgenus Plasmodium, and Plasmodium falciparum belongs to the subgenera Laverania.

Differences Between Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax

Differences Between Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax with characters are given below:

CharacteristicsP. faciparumP. vivax

Duration of asexual phase in man

36-48 hrs

Usually 48 hrs

48 hrs

Duration of sporogony in mosquito

22-23 days at 20°C

10-12 days at 27°C

30 days at 17.5°C

10 days at 25-30°C

Duration of intrahepatic phase

5.5 days8 days

Duration of Schizogony

12 days14 days

Forms found in the smear

Rings and banana shaped gametocytesTrophozoites, schizonts and gametocytes

Level of usual maximum parasitemia

May exceed 200,000/µl, commonly 50,000/µlUp to 30,000/µl of blood

No. of merozoites released per infected hepatocyte

30,00010,000

Red cell preference

Younger cells (but can invade cells of all ages)Reticulocytes and red cells up to 2 weeks old

Parasitized Red cells

Not enlarge. Coarse stippling (Maurer’s clefts)Enlarged, pale. Fine stippling (Schuffner’s dots)

Pigment Color

Black and Dark BrownYellow or Golden Brown

Ability to cause relapses

NoYes

Ring Stage Trophozoite

Small rings (1/5 red cell diameter).

Often two granules.

Multiple rings common.

Large rings (1/3 to 1/2 diameter).

Single chromatin granule.

Two rings in one cell.

Pigment in developing trophozoites

Coarse, black, few clumpsFine, Light brown, scattered

Late Trophozoite

Compact

Medium Sized

Rarely amoeboid

Vacuole inconspicuous.

Pleomorphic

Large

Markedly amoeboid

Vacuole prominent.

Schizont

Small, compact,

Single pigmented mass

Seldom seen in the peripheral blood smear

Large, amoeboid,

Pigments coarse

Can be seen in the blood smear

Mature Schizont (segmenters)

8-16 (Usually 8-18).12-14 (Usually 12-18)

Microgametocytes

Kidney-shaped with blunt round ends.

Cytoplasm stains pale blue.

Nucleus large.

Chromatin diffuse.

Granules fine, scattered.

Spherical, compact.

Cytoplasm stains pale light blue.

Chromatin undivided.

Granules abundant.

Macrogametocytes

Crescentic.

Cytoplasm stains dark blue.

Nucleus compact.

Chromatin central.

Pigment more compact.

Spherical.

Cytoplasm stains dark blue.

Nucleus small.

Pigment diffuse ecoarse.

Disease

Malignant tertian malariaBenign tertian malaria

Similar Posts:

3 thoughts on “Differences Between Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax”

  1. Monoclonal antibody therapy is a form of immunotherapy that uses monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to bind monospecifically to certain cells or proteins. This may then stimulate the patient’s immune system to attack those cells.

    Reply
  2. Monoclonal antibody therapy is a form of immunotherapy that uses monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to bind monospecifically to certain cells or proteins. This may then stimulate the patient’s immune system to attack those cells…
    Sanjay Kataria MSc (Med Microbiology) NIMS

    Reply
  3. in my openion .it will be batter if you add clinical difference in between and importance of immidiate measures eg. treatment etc.
    Dr.K.C.Chaudhary MBBS, MD (Path. & Bact.) .Rtd. JD medical and health serviceses Govt. of UP.

    Reply

Leave a Comment