Plasmodium ovale wallikeri

Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium ovale wallikeri trophozoite, Giemsa stain.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Protista
Phylum: Apicomplexa
Class: Aconoidasida
Order: Haemosporida
Family: Plasmodiidae
Genus: Plasmodium
Species: P. ovale wallikeri

Plasmodium ovale wallikeri is a species of parasitic protozoa that causes tertian malaria in humans. It was described in 2010 when it was realised that Plasmodium ovale was in fact two distinct species - Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri - which are morphologically identical.[1]

Contents

Epidemiology

This species has been identified in Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, São Tomé, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

Clinical features

Since this species has only recently been identified clinical features are described in the page on Plasmodium ovale.

Phylogenetics

This species separated from its closest known relative - Plasmodium ovale curtisi - between 1.0 and 3.5 million years ago.

References

  1. ^ Sutherland CJ, Tanomsing N, Nolder D, Oguike M, Jennison C, Pukrittayakamee S, Dolecek C, Hien TT, do Rosário VE, Arez AP, Pinto J, Michon P, Escalante AA, Nosten F, Burke M, Lee R, Blaze M, Otto TD, Barnwell JW, Pain A, Williams J, White NJ, Day NP, Snounou G, Lockhart PJ, Chiodini PL, Imwong M, Polley SD (2010). "Two nonrecombining sympatric forms of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium ovale occur globally". J Infect Dis 201 (10): 1544–50. doi:10.1086/652240. PMID 20380562.