what type of pathogen causes malaria?

Malaria is caused by a pathogen of the genus Plasmodium, which is a single- celled eukaryotic parasite. There are six species of Plasmodium known to infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale curtisi, P. ovale wallikeri, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. These parasites are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Among the species, P. falciparum is the most common and responsible for the majority of malaria deaths, while P. vivax also causes a significant number of infections with potentially severe outcomes.