Plasmodium malariae is one of the five species of Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria in humans. Unlike the more common species (Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax), P. malariae is known for its longer incubation period and the ability to persist in the human host asymptomatically for extended periods. It is responsible for a less severe form of malaria, often termed quartan malaria due to its characteristic fever cycle every 72 hours.
