Plasmodium azurophilum
Plasmodium azurophilum is a species of the genus Plasmodium. Like all species in this genus it is a parasite of both vertebrates and insects. The vertebrate hosts are anole lizards.
Plasmodium azurophilum | |
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Species: | P. azurophilum |
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Plasmodium azurophilum | |
Description
This species was described by Telford in 1975.[1]
It has been suggested that P. azurophilum represents more than one species with one species infecting red blood cells and the other infecting white blood cells.[2]
Hosts
P. azurophilum has been described in many species of Anolis. Species known to be infected are Anolis cristatellus, Anolis evermanni, Anolis gingivinus, Anolis gundlachi,[3] Anolis krugi, Anolis oculatus, Anolis roquet,[4] Anolis sabanus, and Anolis stratulus.[1]
Median parasitaemia rates in infections tend to be low (<0.5%).[3]
Geographic location
This parasite is found in the eastern Caribbean.[1]
References
- Telford SR, ed. (2016). Hemoparasites of the Reptilia: Color Atlas and Text. CRC Press. p. 20. ISBN 9781420080414. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- Perkins, SL (2001). "Phylogeography of Caribbean lizard malaria: tracing the history of vector-borne parasites". J. Evol. Biol. 14 (1): 34–45. doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2001.00261.x. PMID 29280571.
- Schall, JJ; Pearson, AR; Perkins, SL (2000). "Prevalence of malaria parasites (Plasmodium floridense and Plasmodium azurophilum) infecting a Puerto Rican lizard (Anolis gundlachi): a nine-year study". J. Parasitol. 86 (3): 511–515. doi:10.2307/3284865. JSTOR 3284865. PMID 10864248.
- Ayala, SC; Hertz, PE (1981). "Malaria infection in Anolis lizards on Martinique, Lesser Antilles". Rev. Inst. Med.Trop. Sao Paulo. 23 (1): 12–17. PMID 7280471.