Table 1 Characteristic definition of each of the stages of the malaria species
P. falciparum | P. vivax | P. ovale | P. malariae | P. knowlesi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ring | Purple spot with a thin ring | Purple spot with deformed body | Ring with a large purple spot | Purple spot with a thick body | Purple spot (or spots) with an amorphous thick ring |
Trophozoite | A bigger spot grows around a smaller spot | A misshapen circle which contains an extended spot | An oval circle (sometimes with small corners) which contains a purple spot with undefined shapes | Basket or band shaped. There is no spot | Purple branched spot (the branches are continuous or discontinuous) |
Schizont | Not stablished | Not defined purple spots inside a circle | More than one spot (occasionally they are not very clear) inside an oval circle (sometimes with small corners) | Diffuse purple spots around a darker spot | Defined purple spots easy to count |
Gametocyte | Banana/sausage shaped | Extended, big spot | Row of accumulated spots | A big stained spot which almost fill the circle | A big spot which contains small spots |