About: Plasmodiidae is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 48 publications have been published within this topic receiving 709 citations. The topic is also known as: Especie: vivax.
TL;DR: This study linked two common mitochondrial cyt b lineages P-SGS1 and P-TURDUS1 with their morphospecies, and identified lineages closely related to P. relictum and P. circumflexum, both of which are actively transmitted in Europe and inhabit a broad range of avian hosts.
Abstract: PCR-based methods have been increasingly used in diagnosis of parasitic diseases. Over 40 morphospecies of avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium have been described. However, only nine of them have been identified on the level of their mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene lineages, which are frequently used in molecular biology studies of avian blood haemosporidian parasites. In this study, we linked two common mitochondrial cyt b lineages P-SGS1 and P-TURDUS1 with their morphospecies. Light infections with two species of malaria parasites of the subgenera Haemamoeba and Giovannolaia were isolated from naturally infected adult Hawfinches, Coccothraustes coccothraustes Linnaeus, on the Curonian Spit in the Baltic Sea. These parasites were inoculated to naive juveniles of the Common Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra Linnaeus, and House Sparrow, Passer domesticus Linnaeus. Heavy parasitemia of Plasmodium (Haemamoeba) relictum Grassi & Feletti, 1891 ( lineage P-SGS1) and Plasmodium (Giovannolaia) circumflexum Kikuth, 1931 (P-TURDUS1) developed in the subinoculated Common Crossbills and House Sparrows, respectively, which enabled the detailed illustration of all main blood stages of these parasites and the deposition of their voucher specimens. The parasites of both lineages are actively transmitted in Europe and inhabit a broad range of avian hosts. Lineages closely related to P. relictum and P. circumflexum were identified. This study contributes to establishing of combined PCR-based and morphological identification of avian malaria parasites.
TL;DR: The discovery establishes a minimum age for the genus Plasmodium Marchiafava & Celli, 1885 and places avian malaria in the Americas by the mid-Tertiary and supports earlier theories that some species of primate malaria could have evolved in the Americans.
Abstract: Plasmodium dominicana n. sp. is described from Tertiary Dominican Republic amber. The description is based on oocysts, sporozoites and possible microgametes and an ookinete in the body-cavity of a female Culex mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae: Culicinae). The large pedunculated oocysts, together with the culicine vector, align the fossil with the extant avain malaria species, P. juxtanucleare Versiani & Gomes, 1941. Based on the host range of P. juxtanucleare, a possible primary host would have been a member of the order Galliformes. This discovery establishes a minimum age for the genus Plasmodium Marchiafava & Celli, 1885 and places avian malaria in the Americas by the mid-Tertiary. It also supports earlier theories that some species of primate malaria could have evolved in the Americas.
TL;DR: It is suggested that the failure to amplify P. polymorphum is a more complex problem than why co-infections are commonly overlooked in PCR-based studies, and calls for additional research on evolution of mitochondrial genome of hemosporidian parasites.
Abstract: Plasmodium polymorphum n. sp. (Haemosporida, Plasmodiidae) was found in the skylark, Alauda arvensis (Passeriformes: Alaudidae), during autumnal migration in southern Italy. This organism is illustrated and described based on the morphology of its blood stages. The most distinctive feature of this malaria parasite is the clear preference of its blood stages (trophozoites, meronts, and gametocytes) for immature red blood cells, including erythroblasts. Based on preference of erythrocytic meronts for immature red blood cells, P. polymorphum is most similar to species of the subgenus Huffia. This parasite can be readily distinguished from all other bird malaria parasites, including Plasmodium (Huffia) spp., due to preferential development and maturation of its gametocytes in immature red blood cells, a unique character for avian Plasmodium spp. In addition, the margins of nuclei in blood stages of P. polymorphum are markedly smooth and distinct; this is also a distinct diagnostic feature of this pa...
TL;DR: Of the 133 named species, 114 occur in birds, 16 in reptiles and 3 in amphibia; 14 orders and 47 families of birds are represented.
Abstract: SYNOPSIS. A list of the presumably valid named species of the genus Haemoproteus Kruse, 1890 (Apicomplexa, Plasmodiidae) is given. It includes 133 species, 5 varieties and 1 subspecies. One new species is named: H. serini n. sp. for the form in the canary Serinus canarius called H. zuenyoni by Sergent & Sergent (90). The following emendations are made: H. aegyptius for H. cellii var. aegyptius Mohammed, 1958; H. cellii for H. noctuae var. cellii Coatney & Roudabush, 1937; H. hirundinis for H. danilewskii var. hirundinis Sergent & Sergent, 1905; H. tinnunculus for H. danilewskyi var. tinnunculus Wasielewski & Wiilker, 1918; H. crumenius for H. crumenium (Hirst, 1905) Coatney, 1936; H. mathislegeri for H. herodiadis var. mathislegeri Mohammed, 1958; H. nebraskensis for H. noctuae var. nebraskensis Coatney & Roudabush, 1937; H. rileyi for Hoemoproteus rileyi Malkani, 1936; H. sauianae for H. sd-vianae Tendeiro, 1947; H. asturisdussumieri for H. asturis-dussumieri de Mello, 1935 emend. de Mello, 1937; H. xantholemae for H. xantholaemi Zargar, 1945. Of the 133 named species, 114 occur in birds, 16 in reptiles and 3 in amphibia; 14 orders and 47 families of birds are represented. The generic names Halteridium LabbC, 1894, Haemocystidium Castellani & Willey, 1904 and Simondia Garnham, 1966 are considered synonyms of Haemoproteus.
TL;DR: A new family is erected within the Suborder Haemosporidiidea (Protozoa: Sporozoa), for certain blood-parasites of South American lizards, differentiated from those of the Plasmodiidae and Haemoproteidae by their failure to produce malarial pigment when developing in the erythrocytes.