Plasmodium tejerai

Plasmodium tejerai is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Haemamoeba.

Plasmodium tejerai
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida
Order:	Haemospororida
Family:	Plasmodiidae
Genus:	Plasmodium
Species:	P. tejerai
Binomial name
Plasmodium tejerai Gabaldon and Ulloa, 1977

Like all Plasmodium species P. tejerai has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are birds.

Taxonomy

The parasite was first described by Gabaldon and Ulloa in 1977.

Distribution

This parasite is found in Brazil and Venezuela.

Vectors

Not known.

Clinical features and host pathology

This organism infects the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and the South American penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus).^[1]

Morphologically this parasite resembles Plasmodium relictum closely. In the penguin infection may be fatal with splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, hydropericardium and pulmonary oedema.