Plasmodium floridense

"Plasmodium floridense" is a parasite of the genus "Plasmodium" subgenus "Lacertaemoba".

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

Taxobox
color = khaki
name = "Plasmodium floridense"
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image_width =
regnum = Protista
phylum = Apicomplexa
classis = Aconoidasida
ordo = Haemosporida
familia = Plasmodiidae
genus = "Plasmodium"
species = "P. floridense"
binomial = "Plasmodium floridense"

Description

This species was described by Thompson and Huff in 1944.

Schizonts are 1.5 -2.0 times the size of the nucleus of an uninfected erythrocyte. They produce 8-24 merozoites.

The gametocytes are of a similar size.

Geographical occurrence

This organism is found in an area stretching continuously from the southern United States to Panama. It is also found in the Caribbean.

Clinical features and host pathology

It infects lizards of the genera "Anolis" (including "Anolis sagrei" Perkins S.L., Rothschild A. Waltari E. (2007) Infections of the malaria parasite, "Plasmodium floridense", in the invasive anole, "Anolis sagrei", in Florida J. Herpetol. 41:750-754.] and "Sceloporus".

References