Plasmodium pessoai

Plasmodium pessoai
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
(unranked):	Diaphoretickes
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

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.

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[]

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