Plasmodium chiricahuae

Plasmodium chiricahuae is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Paraplasmodium.

Plasmodium chiricahuae
Scientific classification
(unranked): Diaphoretickes
Clade: TSAR
Clade: SAR
Infrakingdom: Alveolata
Phylum: Apicomplexa
Class: Aconoidasida
Order: Haemospororida
Family: Plasmodiidae
Genus: Plasmodium
Species:
P. chiricahuae
Binomial name
Plasmodium chiricahuae
Telford, 1970

Like all Plasmodium species P. chiricahuae has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.

Description

The schizonts rarely exceed the size of the nucleus of the cell and produce 4-10 merozoites.

The gametocytes are large (3-6 times the size of the nucleus of an uninfected cell) and almost fill the erythrocyte.

Distribution

This species is found in the south-western United States and probably also in northern Mexico.

Hosts

This species infects spiny lizards of the genus Sceloporus.

References

    Further reading
    • Fuxjager, Matthew J.; Foufopoulos, Johannes; Diaz-Uriarte, Ramon; Marler, Catherine A. (February 2011). "Functionally opposing effects of testosterone on two different types of parasite: implications for the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis". Functional Ecology. 25 (1): 132–138. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01784.x.


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