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Medical Definition of Malarial periodicity
1. A clinical rhythmicity reflected in periodic fevers and chills recurring at approximately 48-hour intervals in tertian malaria (Plasmodium vivax or P. Ovale) or at 72-hour intervals in quartan malaria (Periodicity malariae); the rhythm of tertian or 48-hour cycles is frequently modified in malignant tertian or falciparum malaria (P. Falciparum); associated with release of merozoites from red cells during erythrocytic schizogony, although the controlling mechanism for the synchronous release is unknown. (05 Mar 2000)