Plasmodium azurophilum

Plasmodium azurophilum is a species of the genus Plasmodium. Like all species in this genus it is a parasite of both vertebrates and insects. The vertebrate hosts are anole lizards.

Plasmodium azurophilum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida
Order:	Haemospororida
Family:	Plasmodiidae
Genus:	Plasmodium
Species:	P. azurophilum
Binomial name
Plasmodium azurophilum Telford, 1975

Description

This species was described by Telford in 1975.^[1]

It has been suggested that P. azurophilum represents more than one species with one species infecting red blood cells and the other infecting white blood cells.^[2]

Hosts

Plasmodium azurophilum has been described in many species of Anolis. Species known to be infected are Anolis cristatellus, Anolis evermanni, Anolis gingivinus, Anolis gundlachi,^[3] Anolis krugi, Anolis oculatus, Anolis roquet,^[4] Anolis sabanus, and Anolis stratulus.^[1]

Median parasitaemia rates in infections tend to be low (<0.5%).^[3]

Geographic location

This parasite is found in the eastern Caribbean.^[1]