Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes: playing hide and seek

Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, annually it affects more than 240 million people and is responsible for 600-800 thousand deaths (1). Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) causes the most severe form of malaria and is responsible for most of these deaths, particularly in young children and pregnant women. The malaria parasite has a complex life cycle requiring both human and mosquito hosts, but the clinical manifestations only occur while it is undergoing asexual reproduction within the hosts’ red blood cells (RBC). A small proportion of the asexual parasite population enters the sexual pathway and develops into male and female sexual forms called gametocytes which are essential for transmission to the mosquito vector.