An immunogenic composition for use as a blood stage malaria vaccine a method of producing the immunogenic composition and a method of treatment of malaria are provided. The immunogenic composition includes isolated or purified merozoites or red blood cells infected with merozoites treated with centanamycin or tafuramycin A. The immunogenic composition does not include an adjuvant. A single dose of the immunogenic composition is sufficient to protect an animal against subsequent malaria infection by the same isolate strain or species of Plasmodium used in the immunogenic composition or by one or more heterologous isolates strains or species of Plasmodium.
