What types of humans cells does the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum infect?

When bitten by a female mosquito carrying the protozoan, the parasite leaves the blood and settles in the liver.
In about a week they begin releasing merozoites, which invade and reproduce in red blood cells as trophozoites.
These can cause clotting of the red blood cells and obstruction blood vessels. Such obstruction causes tissue ischemia ( tissue death).
Products of hemoglobin breakdown causes jaundice and kidney damage.
The number of clinical cases has been estimated at up to 500 million cases worldwide, with 1.5 million to 3 million deaths with more than 1 million in children under age 5.