Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum. Thin blood film (Giemsa's stain, oil immersion). The presence of many infected red blood cells, which may contain one to several ring forms, schizonts, and gametocytes, is a characteristic feature of overwhelming P. falciparum infection. This field shows a red blood cell containing a schizont and many red cells with one or more ring stages. Only rarely are stages other than rings and gametocytes found in blood films of individuals with this infection.