Plasmodium giganteum
Encyclopedia
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 reptile
s.
The schizonts produce over 100 merozoites.
) and the agamid lizard (Amphibolurus barbatus).
Plasmodium
Plasmodium is a genus of parasitic protists. Infection by these organisms is known as malaria. The genus Plasmodium was described in 1885 by Ettore Marchiafava and Angelo Celli. Currently over 200 species of this genus are recognized and new species continue to be described.Of the over 200 known...
subgenus Sauramoeba
Sauramoeba
Sauramoeba is a subgenus of the genus Plasmodium - all of which are parastic protozoa. The subgenus was created in 1966 by Garnham. Species in this subgenus infect reptiles.- Diagnostic features :...
.
Like all Plasmodium species P. giganteum has both vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s.
Description
The parasite was first described by Theiler in 1930.The schizonts produce over 100 merozoites.
Clinical features and host pathology
This species infects the rainbow lizard (Agama agamaAgama agama
The Common Agama, Red-headed Rock Agama, or Rainbow Agama is a species of lizard from the Agamidae family, found in most of Subsaharan Africa....
) and the agamid lizard (Amphibolurus barbatus).