Plasmodium brodeni

Plasmodium brodeni is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia.

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

Description
The parasite was first described by Rodhain at al in 1913. Rodhain and his colleagues were on a scientific expedition in the Katanga, Congo. As part of this expedition they examined blood of all the vertebrates they caught. In a sample of twleve elephant shrews (Petrodomus tetradactylus) captured between Bukama and Sankisia this parasite was discovered. They named the species after Broden.

This parasite was rediscovered several years later by a United States Naval Medical Research Unit in elephant shrews caught in the Sudan. Over one hundred animals were found to be infected. The press reported the import by air of of 'malaria infected elephants' from Africa.

Geographical occurrence
This species is found in the Congo, Sudan and probably in other parts of Africa.

Clinical features and host pathology
The only known host is the elephant shrew (Petrodomus and Elephantulu species).