''Plasmodium billcollinsi'' is a species of the genus ''

Plasmodium ''Plasmodium'' is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles of ''Plasmodium'' species involve development in a blood-feeding insect host which then injects parasites into a vert ...

'' subgenus ''

Laverania ''Laverania'' is a subgenus of the parasite genus ''Plasmodium''. Infection with these species results in malaria. The subgenus was first described in 1958. The name was first proposed by Welch in 1897 as a genus name for the group now known as ...

''. It is a parasitic protozoan found in

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...

s in Central Africa. The parasite is named in honour of the malariologist William E. Collins.

Taxonomy

Both ''P. billcollinsi'' and ''P. billbrayi'' were suggested based on

mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA ...

and nuclear gene sequences, in addition to having been obtained from chimpanzee samples. ''Plasmodium billcollinsi'' is located at the root between '' P. falciparum'' and '' P. reichenowi''.

Distribution

Analysis made on 1,261 samples revealed that at least six ''Plasmodium'' species circulate in great apes in Gabon, with ''P. billcollinsi'' being found faecal samples from 791 chimpanzees.

Hosts

Along with '' P. reichenowi'', '' P. billbrayi'' and '' P. gaboni'', ''P. billcollinsi'' infects with

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

to only

s. The parasite has been found in at least three subspecies: '' P. t. verus'', '' P. t. troglodytes'', and '' P. t. schweinfurthii''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q48842618 billcollinsi

Taxonomy

Distribution

Hosts

See also

References