Plasmodium giganteum
Plasmodium giganteum is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Sauramoeba.
Like all Plasmodium species P. giganteum has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.
Plasmodium giganteum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Protista |
Phylum: | Apicomplexa |
Class: | Aconoidasida |
Order: | Haemosporida |
Family: | Plasmodiidae |
Genus: | Plasmodium |
Species: | P. giganteum |
Binomial name | |
Plasmodium giganteum | |
Description
The parasite was first described by Theiler in 1930.
P. giganteum blood-stage parasites are described as being 2 to 6 times as large as the host cell nucleus. The gametocytes are round and elongated.[1]
Geographical occurrence
P. giganteum has only been described in Gbanga, Liberia.[1]
Hosts
P. giganteum infects the rainbow lizard (Agama agama), as well as Agama mossambica and Agama cyanogaster.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Telford SR (2009). Hemoparasites of the Reptilia: Color Atlas and Text. CRC Press. p. 14. ISBN 9781420080407.
Further reading
Schall, JJ; Bromwich, CR (April 1994). "Interspecific interactions tested: two species of malarial parasite in a West African lizard". Oecologia. 97 (3): 326–332. doi:10.1007/BF00317322.