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Table 8 List of synonyms of Plasmodium species of birds

From: Keys to the avian malaria parasites

Synonymous name and references of original description

Valid namea

Plasmodium alaudae [126]

P. relictum (partim)

P. alloelongatum [53]b

P. elongatum

P. bioccai [56]c

P. relictum

P. biziurae [127]

P. relictum

P. capistrani [128]

P. relictum

P. centropi [129]

P. cathemerium (partim)

P. chloropsidis [130]

P. relictum

P. coluzzii [57]c

P. relictum

P. dorsti [56]c

P. relictum

P. ginsburgi [57]c

P. relictum

P. heroni [131]

P. circumflexum

P. huffi [122]

P. nucleophilum

P. japonicum [132]

P. juxtanucleare

P. metastaticum [133]

P. gallinaceum

P. grassii [134]

P. relictum

P. inconstans [86]

P. relictum

P. maior [135]

P. relictum

P. merulae [136]

P. vaughani

P. mohammedi [54]d

P. rouxi

P. muniae [137]

P. relictum

P. majoris [138]

P. relictum (partim)

P. oti [139]

P. hexamerium

P. passeris [140]

P. relictum

P. paddae [141]

P. relictum

P. pericrocoti [142]

P. relictum

P. ploceii [142]

P. relictum

P. relictum quentini [57]c

P. relictum

P. spheniscidae [143]

P. relictum

P. tumbayaensis [144]

P. vaughani

P. tenuis [145]

P. vaughani

Plasmodium wasielewskii [146]

P. subpraecox

  1. aPlasmodium species synonymous names published before 2000 were justified in [8]
  2. bAccording to the original description [53], P. alloelongatum is similar to P. elongatum, but differs from the latter species mainly due to two characters: (1) the erythrocytic meront progeny is limited to 6 (predominantly 6–12 in P. elongatum), and (2) the undulating or rugged outlines and tapering gametocyte ends, which might extend into a distal spine or filaments. The irregularity of gametocyte shape (Fig. 4p) and presence of ameboid outgrowth (Fig. 4q) has been reported and illustrated in P. elongatum (the closely related lineages pGRW6 and pERIRUB01), but have rarely pointed out in descriptions of this parasite [1, 23, 120]. Furthermore, the ameboid outgrowths in gametocytes were seen in the neohapantotype of P. elongatum (blood slide no. 216, the Natural History Museum, London). The number of nuclei in mature erythrocytic meronts is variable in P. elongatum during development in different host cells and avian hosts, and it is often ≤ 6 [1, 23, 120]. Plasmodium elongatum has been characterized molecularly (Table 7), and it has been reported in numerous bird species belonging to different orders both by microscopic examination of blood films and PCR-based testing, including species of Accipitriformes and Falconiformes [21]. Based on available information, Plasmodium alloelongatum cannot be distinguished is considered as a synonym of P. elongatum
  3. cObservation of blood stages in various bird species experimentally infected with single infections of Plasmodium relictum lineages pSGS1 and pGRW11, which are closely related and widespread in Europe, show that main reported P. bioccai, P. coluzzii, P. dorsti, P. ginsburgi, P. relictum quentini blood stages (meronts and gametocytes) are present in these parasite lineages [67, 71, 117]. These parasites were described in co-infection with Haemamoeba parasites, including P. relictum, and description of blood stages were fragmentary [56, 57]. Blood stages of all these parasites do not have unique characters, which could help to distinguish them from P. relictum. Plasmodium bioccai, P. coluzzii, P. dorsti, P. ginsburgi, P. relictum quentini are considered as synonyms of P. relictum
  4. dSynonymous status of P. mohammedi was specified in Table 9 (see the footnote “f”)
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Malaria Journal

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