Malaria is an infectious disease which is caused by species of the Plasmodium parasite. It is caused by the bite of the infected mosquito (female anopheles). The species which cause infection in humans include Plasmodium Vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium falciparum. This test is done to detect the presence of malarial parasite in the blood. Reference: https://www.1mg.com/labs/test/peripheral-smear-for-malaria-2228