Plasmodium hegneri

Plasmodium hegneri is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Giovannolaia.

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

Description
The parasite was first described by Manwell and Kuntz in 1966.

It is related to the following species

Plasmodium asanum Plasmodium circumflexum Plasmodium durae Plasmodium fallax  Plasmodium formosanum Plasmodium gabaldoni Plasmodium lophrae Plasmodium lophrae Plasmodium pediocetti Plasmodium pinotti Plasmodium polare

Geographical occurrence
This species was originally isolated in Taiwan but is likely to be much more widespread.

Clinical features and host pathology
This species infects the the common or European teal (Anas crecca).