Plasmodium heischi
Encyclopedia
Plasmodium heischi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium
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. heischi 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 Garnham and Telford in 1984.

The schizonts produce up to 65 nuclei and cause host cell hypertrophy and distortion.

The gametocyte
Gametocyte
A gametocyte is a eukaryotic germ cell that divides by mitosis into other gametocytes or by meiosis into gametids during gametogenesis. Male gametocytes are called spermatocytes, and female gametocytes are called oocytes....

s are spindle-shaped. The female gametocyte often has a subterminal nucleus.

Clinical features and host pathology

The only host for this species are the skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...

s Mabuya striata.
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