it ised ▁red ▁blood ▁cell ▁( ery th ro cy te ) ▁is ▁never ▁en larg ed ▁and ▁may ▁even ▁appear ▁smaller ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁normal ▁red ▁blood ▁cells . ▁ ▁The ▁cy top las m ▁is ▁not ▁de color ized ▁and ▁no ▁d ots ▁are ▁visible ▁on ▁the ▁cell ▁surface . ▁ ▁The ▁food ▁vac u ole ▁is ▁small ▁and ▁the ▁par as ite ▁is ▁compact . ▁ ▁C ells ▁s eld om ▁host ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁par as ite . ▁ ▁Band ▁forms , ▁where ▁the ▁par as ite ▁forms ▁a ▁thick ▁band ▁across ▁the ▁width ▁of ▁the ▁inf ected ▁cell , ▁are ▁characteristic ▁of ▁this ▁species ▁( and ▁some ▁would ▁say ▁is ▁di agnostic ). ▁ ▁Lar ge ▁gra ins ▁of ▁mal arial ▁p ig ment ▁are ▁often ▁seen ▁in ▁these ▁par as ites : ▁more ▁so ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁Pl as mod ium ▁species , ▁ 8 ▁m ero zo ites . ▁ ▁Management ▁and ▁ther apy ▁Fail ure ▁to ▁detect ▁some ▁P . ▁mal aria e ▁in fe ctions ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁modifications ▁of ▁the ▁species - specific ▁prim ers ▁and ▁to ▁efforts ▁towards ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁real - time ▁PC R ▁ass ays . ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁such ▁an ▁ass ay ▁has ▁included ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁generic ▁prim ers ▁that ▁target ▁a ▁highly ▁conser ved ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 S ▁r R NA ▁gen es ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁human - in fect ing ▁species ▁of ▁Pl as mod ium . ▁This ▁ass ay ▁was ▁found