Explained: Plasmodium ovale and other types of malaria The soldier in Kerala is believed to have contracted Plasmodium ovale during his posting in Sudan, from where he returned nearly a year ago, and where Plasmodium ovale is endemic. Updated: December 13, 2020 8:44:16 am Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, if the mosquito itself is infected with a malarial parasite. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) A not very common type of malaria, Plasmodium ovale, has been identified in a jawan in Kerala. The soldier is believed to have contracted it during his posting in Sudan, from where he returned nearly a year ago, and where Plasmodium ovale is endemic.