Which organism is responsible for causing malaria?

Plasmodium spp. is the organism responsible for causing malaria, a disease that predominantly affects humans and is transmitted through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are several species of Plasmodium that can cause malaria, including Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae. Plasmodium spp. invades red blood cells, leading to symptoms such as fever, chills, and anemia.

While the other organisms mentioned are also important in the field of parasitology, they are associated with different diseases. Giardia lamblia is known for causing giardiasis, a gastrointestinal infection. Entamoeba histolytica is responsible for amoebic dysentery, affecting the large intestine. Trypanosoma brucei causes African sleeping sickness, a disease transmitted by tsetse flies. Each of these organisms has distinct life cycles and modes of transmission, making Plasmodium spp. uniquely identifiable as the causative agent of malaria.