Are all species of plasmodium capable of causing malaria?

The correct answer is that not all species of Plasmodium are capable of causing malaria. There are several species within the Plasmodium genus, but only a few are known to infect humans and lead to malaria. The primary species responsible for this disease in humans are Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae. Each of these species has distinct life cycles, pathologies, and geographic distributions.

Other species of Plasmodium, such as Plasmodium knowlesi, primarily infect non-human primates but can also cause malaria in humans, though this is less common. Additionally, there are species like Plasmodium cynomolgi and Plasmodium reichenowi that do not typically infect humans but instead have specialized hosts, such as certain types of monkeys.

Thus, the diversity among Plasmodium species means that not all are significant in terms of public health and human disease. This specificity underlines the importance of identifying the causative species in cases of malaria to provide appropriate treatment and understand epidemiological patterns.