Puneet Varma (Editor)

Plasmodium cnemaspi

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Kingdom
  
Protista

Class
  
Aconoidasida

Family
  
Plasmodiidae

Scientific name
  
Plasmodium cnemaspi

Phylum
  
Apicomplexa

Order
  
Haemosporida

Genus
  
Plasmodium

Rank
  
Species

People also search for
  
Plasmodium circularis

Plasmodium cnemaspi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Sauramoeba.

Contents

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

Description

The parasite was first described by Telford in 1984.

The schizonts are usually round, oval or oblong, exceed the host cell nuclei in size and produce 8-20 merozoites.

The gametocytes are elongate or oval and have dispersed pigment averaging twice the size of host cell nuclei in size. In chronic infections, gametocytes may become rounded and cause both host cell and nucleus to shrink.

Geographical occurrence

This species is found in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania.

Clinical features and host pathology

This species infects the lizard Cnemaspis africana.

References

Plasmodium cnemaspi Wikipedia