Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes and caused by the parasite Plasmodium. Five different species of the malaria parasite cause human infections (Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi). These species are distributed over all (sub-)tropical regions of the world and cause numerous cases of malaria and deaths around the world, particularly among children under 5 years of age in Africa.