Plasmodium ovalewallikeri

Plasmodium ovalewallikeri is a species of parasitic protozoa that causes tertian malaria in humans. The species was described in 2010 when it was established that the two species of Plasmodium ovale, while morphologically identical are genetically distinct.^[1]. Originally given the trinomial name Plasmodium ovale wallikeri, following further evidence for its distinct species status it was assigned the appropriate binomial nomenclature in 2024 ^[2]

Plasmodium ovalewallikeri
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida
Order:	Haemospororida
Family:	Plasmodiidae
Genus:	Plasmodium
Species:	P. ovalewallikeri
Binomial name
Plasmodium ovalewallikeri Snounou, et al. 2024

Epidemiology

Plasmodium ovalewallikeri has been identified in Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, São Tomé, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

Clinical features

Clinical features for P. ovalewallikeri are described in the article on Plasmodium ovale.

Phylogenetics

This species separated from its closest known relative - Plasmodium ovalecurtisi - between 1.0 and 3.5 million years ago.

References

1. Sutherland CJ, Tanomsing N, Nolder D, Oguike M, Jennison C, Pukrittayakamee S, Dolecek C, Hien TT, do Rosário VE, Arez AP, Pinto J, Michon P, Escalante AA, Nosten F, Burke M, Lee R, Blaze M, Otto TD, Barnwell JW, Pain A, Williams J, White NJ, Day NP, Snounou G, Lockhart PJ, Chiodini PL, Imwong M, Polley SD (2010). "Two nonrecombining sympatric forms of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium ovale occur globally". J Infect Dis. 201 (10): 1544–50. doi:10.1086/652240. PMID 20380562.
2. Snounou G, Sharp PM, Culleton R. The two parasite species formerly known as Plasmodium ovale. Trends Parasitol. 2024 Jan;40(1):21-27. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.11.004. Epub 2023 Nov 30. PMID: 38040603.