Plasmodium hermani

Plasmodium hermani is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Huffia. As in all Plasmodium species, P. hermani has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are birds.

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

Description

This species was first described in 1975 by Telford and Forrester in a wild turkey.^[1]

Geographical occurrence

This species is found in Florida, USA.

Vectors

• Culex nigripalpus^[2]
• Culex restuans
• Culex salinarius^[3]
• Wyeomyia vanduzeei

Note: Cx. nigripalpus appears to be the main natural vector.

Clinical features and host pathology

This species infects knots (Calidris canutus), bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) and turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo).

Infection of turkeys causes anaemia, splenomegaly and decreased growth but is not normally fatal.