''Plasmodium durae'' is a parasite of the genus ''

Plasmodium ''Plasmodium'' is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles of ''Plasmodium'' species involve development in a Hematophagy, blood-feeding insect host (biology), host which then inj ...

'' subgenus '' Giovannolaia''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. durae'' has both

vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

and

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

Description

The parasite was first described by Herman in 1941.Herman C. M. (1941) ''Plasmodium durae'', a new species of malaria parasite from the common turkey. Am. J. Epidemiol. 34, 22-26 Mature gametocytes tend to lie obliquely within the host cell, displace the nucleus to one pole of the cell and possess one or more clumps of clear pigment granules.

Systematics

It is related to the following species: '' Plasmodium asanum''
''

Plasmodium circumflexum ''Plasmodium circumflexum'' is a parasite of the genus ''Plasmodium'' subgenus ''Giovannolaia''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. circumflexum'' has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are birds. Taxonom ...

''
'' Plasmodium fallax''
'' Plasmodium formosanum''
'' Plasmodium gabaldoni''
'' Plasmodium hegneri''
'' Plasmodium lophrae''
'' Plasmodium lophrae''
'' Plasmodium pediocetti''
''

Plasmodium pinotti ''Plasmodium pinotti'' is a parasite of the genus ''Plasmodium'' subgenus '' Giovannolaia''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. pinotti'' has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are birds. Description Th ...

''
''

Plasmodium polare ''Plasmodium polare'' is a parasite of the genus ''Plasmodium'' subgenus '' Papernaia''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. polare'' has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are birds. Description The pa ...

Geographical occurrence

This species is found in the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Clinical features and host pathology

Hosts of this species include

domestic turkey The domestic turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo domesticus'') is a large fowl, one of the two species in the genus ''Meleagris'' and the same species as the wild turkey. Although turkey domestication was thought to have occurred in central Mesoamerica ...

s (''

Meleagris gallopavo The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey (''M. g. domesticus''), w ...

'') and Swainson's

Francolin Francolins are birds in the tribe Gallini that traditionally have been placed in the genus ''Francolinus'', but now commonly are divided into multiple genera. As previously defined, they were paraphyletic as the genus '' Pternistis'', which wa ...

('' Francolinus swainsoni'').

Description

Systematics

Geographical occurrence

Clinical features and host pathology

References

Further reading