Which malaria parasites usually cause fever cycles about every 48 hours?

The malaria parasites that typically cause fever cycles approximately every 48 hours—a condition known as tertian malaria—are Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, and P. ovale.12

These periodic fever attacks coincide with the synchronized rupture of infected red blood cells and the subsequent release of a new generation of merozoites into the bloodstream. While these three species follow a 48-hour cycle, other species exhibit different patterns: P. malariae typically repeats its cycle every 72 hours (quartan malaria), and P. knowlesi has a 24-hour life cycle, which can result in daily fever spikes.12