Plasmodium mexicanum explained

Plasmodium mexicanum is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Paraplasmodium.

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

Taxonomy

The parasite was first described by Thompson and Huff in 1944.^[1]

Distribution

This parasite is found in Arizona, United States.

Hosts

This parasite infects the Sceloporus ferraripezi, S. horridus, S. microlepidotus, western fence lizard (S. occidentalis), S. pyrocephalus, S. variabilis, S. torquatus torquatus (subspecies of S. torquatus) and the tree lizard Urosaurus ornatus.^[2]

This species is unusual in being able to undergo normal sporogony in psychodid flies – Lutzomyia stewarti and L. vexatrix occidentis, an unrecognized subspecies of L. vexator. Vector competence of L. vexator has also been demonstrated.^[3]

Further reading

• Moltz. Victoria. Lewis. William. Vardo-Zalik. Anne. Leukocyte Profiles for Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, Naturally Infected by the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium mexicanum. Journal of Parasitology. October 2014. 100. 5. 592–597. 10.1645/13-371.1. 24945903. 207248239 .

Notes and References

1. Thompson P.E. and Huff C.G. (1944) Saurian malaria parasites of the United States and Mexico. J. Inf. Dis. 74:68–79.
2. French S.S., Fokidis H.B., Moore M.C. 2008. Variation in stress and innate immunity in the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) across an urban-rural gradient. J Comp Physiol [B].
3. 4. 2012. 87. Santiago-Alarcon. Diego. Palinauskas. Vaidas. Schaefer. Hinrich Martin. 928–964. Diptera vectors of avian Haemosporidian parasites: untangling parasite life cycles and their taxonomy. Biological Reviews . 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2012.00234.x. 22616880 . 22950198 .