Vinckeia

Vinckeia is a subgenus of the genus Plasmodium — all of which are parasitic alveolates. The subgenus Vinckeia was created by Cyril Garnham in 1964 to accommodate the mammalian parasites other than those infecting the primates.^[1][2]

Vinckeia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida
Order:	Haemospororida
Family:	Plasmodiidae
Genus:	Plasmodium
Subgenus:	Vinckeia

Diagnostic features

Species in this subgenus infect mammals other than the higher primates. Species infecting lemurs have since been included in this subgenus. This classification may not be correct.^[3]

Schizonts: These do not fill the erythrocyte and do not show true stippling. They give rise normally to 8 or fewer merozoites. Schizogony normally takes three days or less.

Merozoites:

Gametocytes: These are spherical.

Species in this subgenus

The following is a list of species in subgenus Vinckeia and their hosts.

• Plasmodium achromaticum — insectivorous bat species
• Plasmodium aegyptensis — African grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus)^[4]
• Plasmodium anomaluri — African flying squirrel (Anomalurus species)
• Plasmodium atheruri — African brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus), Large vesper mouse (Calomys callosus) and Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), Anopheles stephensi
• Plasmodium berghei — the African woodland thicket rat (Grammomys surdaster), Anopheles stephensi
• Plasmodium booliati — the Malayan giant flying squirrel Petaurista petaurista^{[5][6]: 51,69}
• Plasmodium bouillize
• Plasmodium brodeni — four-toed elephant shrews (Petrodromus tetradactylus)
• Plasmodium bubalis — water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)
• Plasmodium bucki
• Plasmodium caprae — domestic goat (Capra hircus)
• Plasmodium cephalophi — the antelope (Cephalophus grimmi) and the common duiker/grey duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia)^[7]
• Plasmodium cercopitheci
• Plasmodium chabaudi — Anopheles stephensi
• Plasmodium coulangesi
• Plasmodium cyclopsi — the Cyclops roundleaf bat (Hipposideros cyclops)^[8]
• Plasmodium foleyi
• Plasmodium girardi
• Plasmodium incertae — flying squirrel
• Plasmodium inopinatum
• Plasmodium joyeuxi
• Plasmodium landauae — African flying squirrels (Anomalurus species)
• Plasmodium lemuris
• Plasmodium melanipherum — the common bent-wing bat/Schreibers' bat (Miniopterus schreibersii)
• Plasmodium narayani
• Plasmodium odocoilei — white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
• Plasmodium percygarnhami
• Plasmodium pulmophilium — African flying squirrel (Anomalurus species)
• Plasmodium sandoshami — the Sunda flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus)
• Plasmodium semnopitheci
• Plasmodium traguli — mouse deer
• Plasmodium tyrio — the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla)
• Plasmodium uilenbergi
• Plasmodium vinckei – rodents
• Plasmodium voltaicum — the Angolan rousette (a fruit bat, Myonycteris angolensis/Rousettus smithi)
• Plasmodium watteni — Formosan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista grandis)^[9][6]: 69
• Plasmodium yoelii — Anopheles stephensi

Evolutionary history

Sharp et al 2020^[10] reanalyze the available amino acid substitution data and conclude that chabaudi, yoelii, and berghei cluster relatively close together. Further they find chabaudi split off first and the berghei/yoelii division is more recent.^[10]

By host

Further information: Malaria § Other animals

Murine malaria

Murine malaria – malaria in mice – is caused by P. berghei, P. chabaudi, P. vinckei and P. yoelii. Some strains produce cerebral malaria and some do not.^[11]