Plasmodium mexicanum
Plasmodium mexicanum is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Paraplasmodium.
Like all Plasmodium species P. mexicanum has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.
| Plasmodium mexicanum | |
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| Species: | P. mexicanum
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| Binomial name | |
| Plasmodium mexicanum | |
Description
The parasite was first described by Thompson and Huff in 1944.[1]
Geographical occurrence
This parasite is found in Arizona, United States.
Clinical features and host pathology
This parasite infects the Scleroporus ferraripezi, Scleroporus horridus, Scleroporus microlepidotus, western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), Scleroporus pyrocephalus, Scleroporus variabilis, Scleroporus torquatus torquatus and the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus).[2]
This species is unusual in being able to undergo normal sporogony in psychodid flies (Lutzomyia stewarti and Lutzomyia vexatrix).
References
Further reading
- Moltz, Victoria; Lewis, William; Vardo-Zalik, Anne (October 2014). "Leukocyte Profiles for Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, Naturally Infected by the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium mexicanum". JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY. 100 (5): 592–597. doi:10.1645/13-371.1.
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