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A not very common type of malaria, Plasmodium ovale, has been identified in a jawan in Kerala

Plasmodium ovale

• P ovale malaria is endemic to tropical Western Africa. 
  
• Plasmodium ovale is a cause of non-falciparum malaria infection.
• Non-falciparum malaria is due to infection caused by Plasmodium species other than P. falciparum. 
  
• Plasmodium ovale is a species of parasitic protozoa that causes tertian malaria in humans.
  
• It is one of several species of Plasmodium parasites that infect humans including Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax which are responsible for most malarial infection.

Five species of Plasmodium (single-celled parasites) can infect humans and cause illness:

• Plasmodium falciparum (or P. falciparum)
• Plasmodium malariae (or P. malariae)
• Plasmodium vivax (or P. vivax)
• Plasmodium ovale (or P. ovale)
• Plasmodium knowlesi (or P. knowlesi)

Types of malaria

Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, if the mosquito itself is infected with a malarial parasite.
There are five kinds of malarial parasites — Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax (the commonest ones), Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium knowlesi. 

Source: The Hindu