Plasmodium durae

Plasmodium durae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida
Order:	Haemospororida
Family:	Plasmodiidae
Genus:	Plasmodium
Species:	P. durae
Binomial name
Plasmodium durae Herman, 1941

Plasmodium durae is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Giovannolaia.

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

Description

The parasite was first described by Herman in 1941.[1]

Mature gametocytes tend to lie obliquely within the host cell, displace the nucleus to one pole of the cell and possess one or more clumps of clear pigment granules.

Systematics

It is related to the following species:

Plasmodium asanum
Plasmodium circumflexum
Plasmodium fallax
Plasmodium formosanum
Plasmodium gabaldoni
Plasmodium hegneri
Plasmodium lophrae
Plasmodium lophrae
Plasmodium pediocetti
Plasmodium pinotti
Plasmodium polare

Geographical occurrence

This species is found in the United States of America and South Africa.

Clinical features and host pathology

Hosts of this species include domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and Swainson's Francolin (Francolinus swainsoni).

References

1. Herman C. M. (1941) Plasmodium durae, a new species of malaria parasite from the common turkey. Am. J. Epidemiol. 34, 22-26

Further reading

Laird, Marshall (1978). "Plasmodium duraeHerman from the Introduced Common Peafowl in Northern Nigeria". The Journal of Protozoology. 25 (1): 21–24. doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.1978.tb03857.x. PMID 660569.