Plasmodium pessoai

Plasmodium pessoai is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium. As in all Plasmodium species, P. pessoai has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.

Plasmodium pessoai
Scientific classification
(unranked): Diaphoretickes
Clade: TSAR
Clade: SAR
Infrakingdom: Alveolata
Phylum: Apicomplexa
Class: Aconoidasida
Order: Haemospororida
Family: Plasmodiidae
Genus: Plasmodium
Species:
P. pessoai
Binomial name
Plasmodium pessoai
Ayala et al., 1978

Taxonomy

The parasite was first described by Ayala et al. in 1978.[1] The species is named after Dr Samuel B Pessoa - a parasitologist at the Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.

Morphologically this species appears to be related to Plasmodium aurulentum.

Description

The gametocytes are small and sausage shaped (10.4 x 4.6 micrometres)

Immature schizonts often contain a digestive vacuole.

Mature schizonts are spherical or bouquet-shaped and produce 22 - 32 merozoites. They may possess an intensely staining magenta or rose-coloured substance in the matrix of the surrounding vacuole.

Distribution

This species is found in Costa Rica, Central America.

Hosts

Plasmodium pessoai' is one of the three species known to infect snakes: the other two are Plasmodium wenyoni and Plasmodium tomodoni. This species infects the rat snake (Spilotes pullatus) and the bush master (Lachesis muta).

References
  1. Ayala S.C., Moreno-Robles E., Bolaños-Herrera, R. (1978) Plasmodium pessoai sp. n. procedentes de dos serpientes costarricenses. J. Parasitol. 64(2)330-335


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