''Plasmodium georgesi'' 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 ''

''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. georgesi'' 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

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

Description

This species was first described by Poirriez ''et al.'' in 1993. The

trophozoite A trophozoite (G. ''trope'', nourishment + ''zoon'', animal) is the activated, feeding stage in the life cycle of certain protozoa such as malaria-causing ''Plasmodium falciparum'' and those of the ''Giardia'' group. The complementary form of the t ...

s have long crescent-shaped nuclei (surface area 2.18 +/- 0.25 square micrometres). The pigment is stored as short rods.

Geographical occurrence

''Plasmodium georgesi'' has been found in the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...

Clinical features and host pathology

''Plasmodium georgesi'', '' Plasmodium petersi'' and '' Plasmodium gonderi'' are the only ''Plasmodium'' species found to date (2008) in ''Cercocebus'' monkeys. ''Plasmodium georgesi'' infects '' Cercocebus albigena'' and '' Cercocebus galeritus agilis'' causing a remitting/relapsing form of malaria.

References

georgesi georgesi {{plasmodium-stub