Review Question - QID 211078

A 32-year-old man presents to his primary care physician with a 5-day history of high fevers. He says that the fevers occur intermittently, and he has not noticed a pattern for when they occur. The fevers are also accompanied by myalgias, chills, and night sweats. He lives on the northeastern coast of the United States but recently returned from a safari vacation in Africa. He does not have any previously known medical issues. On presentation, his temperature is 102.9°F (39.4°C), blood pressure is 118/76 mmHg, pulse is 105/min, and respirations are 16/min. A peripheral blood smear is obtained and shown in Figure A. Which of the following is true about the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?