Description, molecular characterisation, diagnostics and life cycle of Plasmodium elongatum (lineage pERIRUB01), the virulent avian malaria parasite.

We report here on syncytium-like remnants of tissue meronts, which slip out of the bone marrow into the peripheral circulation, providing evidence that the syncytia can be a template for PCR amplification. This finding contributes to better understanding positive PCR amplifications in birds when parasitemia is invisible and improved diagnostics of abortive haemosporidian infections. Sporogony of P. elongatum (pERIRUB01) completes the cycle and sporozoites develop in widespread Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex pipiens pipiens form molestus mosquitoes. This experimental study provides information on virulence and within species lineage diversity in a single pathogenic species of haemosporidian parasite.
PMID: 27349510 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: International Journal for Parasitology - June 23, 2016 Category: Parasitology Authors: Palinauskas V, Žiegytė R, Iezhova TA, Ilgūnas M, Bernotienė R, Valkiūnas G Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: research