Plasmodium pelaezi

Plasmodium pelaezi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Sauramoeba.

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

Description
This species was first described by Malagón and Salmeron in 1988.

Schizonts are mostly round with a single mass of pigment and render the host cell nuclei spherical.

There are 16 merozoites in mature schizonts.

The gametocytes are round and oval and cause shrinkage of infected cells.

Geographical occurrence
This species was described in lizards found at Chila de la Sal, Puebla, México.

Clinical features and host pathology
The only known host is the iguanid lizard Urosaurus bicarinatus bicarinatus.