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Plasmodium pessoai sp. n. from two Costa Rican snakes.

S C Ayala, E Moreno, R Bolaños

    The Journal of Parasitology
    |April 1, 1978
    PubMed
    Summary

    A novel malaria parasite species was identified in snakes from Costa Rica's Atlantic lowlands. This discovery expands our understanding of malaria parasite diversity in neotropical reptiles.

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    Area of Science:

    • Parasitology
    • Herpetology
    • Tropical Biology

    Background:

    • Malaria parasites (Plasmodium) infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts.
    • Reptiles are known hosts for various Plasmodium species, but diversity in neotropical regions remains incompletely characterized.
    • Previous surveys in Costa Rican forests have not extensively documented Plasmodium infections in arboreal snake species.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To identify and characterize a unique malaria parasite species found in snakes from eastern Costa Rica.
    • To describe the morphological features distinguishing this new Plasmodium species.
    • To document the prevalence of this parasite in specific snake species.

    Main Methods:

    • Blood smears were collected from snakes in moist Atlantic lowland forests.
    • Microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears was performed to identify and characterize malaria parasites.
    • Morphological features of gametocytes, schizonts, and segmenters were recorded and measured.

    Main Results:

    • A unique malaria parasite species was detected in one Spilotes pullatus (Colubridae) and one Lachesis muta (Crotalidae).
    • The parasite is characterized by small, sausage-shaped gametocytes (10.4 x 4.6 µm).
    • Distinctive schizonts with visible digestive vacuoles and spherical/bouquet-shaped segmenters (22-32 merozoites) surrounded by a magenta matrix were observed.

    Conclusions:

    • A novel Plasmodium species, distinguished by unique morphological characteristics, has been identified in Costa Rican snakes.
    • This finding highlights the potential for undiscovered Plasmodium diversity in neotropical reptile populations.
    • Further research is needed to understand the parasite's life cycle, host specificity, and ecological role.

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