Plasmodium mexicanum is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Paraplasmodium.
Like all Plasmodium species P. mexicanum has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.
Taxonomy The parasite was first described by Thompson and Huff in 1944.Thompson P.E. and Huff C.G. (1944) Saurian malaria parasites of the United States and Mexico. J. Inf. Dis. 74:68–79.
Distribution This parasite is found in Arizona, United States.
Hosts This parasite infects the Sceloporus ferraripezi, S. horridus, S. microlepidotus, western fence lizard (S. occidentalis), S. pyrocephalus, S. variabilis, S. torquatus torquatus (subspecies of S. torquatus) and the tree lizard Urosaurus ornatus.French S.S., Fokidis H.B., Moore M.C. 2008. Variation in stress and innate immunity in the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) across an urban-rural gradient. J Comp Physiol [B].
This species is unusual in being able to undergo normal sporogony in psychodid flies – Lutzomyia stewarti and L. vexatrix occidentis, an unrecognized subspecies of L. vexator. Vector competence of L. vexator has also been demonstrated.
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