Plasmodium lucens explained

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

Taxonomy

The parasite was first described by Valkiūnas et al. in 2008.^[1]

Distribution

This parasite is found in West Africa.

Vectors

Not known.

Hosts

P. lucens infects the olive sunbird (Cyanomitra olivacea).

Notes and References

1. Valkiūnas G., Iezhova T.A., Loiseau C., Smith T.B., Sehgal R.N. (2008) New malaria parasites of the subgenus Novyella in African rainforest birds, with remarks on their high prevalence, classification and diagnostics. Parasitol. Res.