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How do hypnozoites cause relapses of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale malaria?
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malaria
Life cycle of a malaria parasite.
In Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale malaria, some sporozoites do not immediately develop into schizonts after entering the liver. Instead, they remain in a dormant state known as a hypnozoite.1
These hypnozoites can persist in the liver for months or even years. When they eventually emerge from this dormant stage, they resume their development, multiply, and release merozoites into the bloodstream. These merozoites then invade and destroy red blood cells, resulting in a clinical relapse of the disease.1