Plasmodium giganteum

Plasmodium giganteum is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Sauramoeba. As in all Plasmodium species, P. giganteum has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.

Plasmodium giganteum
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Diaphoretickes
Clade: SAR
Infrakingdom: Alveolata
Phylum: Apicomplexa
Class: Aconoidasida
Order: Haemospororida
Family: Plasmodiidae
Genus: Plasmodium
Species:
P. giganteum
Binomial name
Plasmodium giganteum
Theiler, 1930

Taxonomy

The parasite was first described by Theiler in 1930.

Description

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]

Distribution

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. 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. Bibcode:1994Oecol..97..326S. doi:10.1007/BF00317322. PMID 28313627.


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