Plasmodium silvaticum
Introduction '''''Plasmodium silvaticum''''' is a parasite of the genus ''Plasmodium'' subgenus ''Plasmodium''.Like all ''Plasmodium'' species, ''P. silvaticum'' has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals.
Description The parasite was first described by Garnham ''et al'' in 1972.It is a member of the vivax group and closely resembles the other members of this group.
Geographical occurrence This species is found in Borneo.
Vectors Vectors are ''Anopheles balabacensis'', ''Anopheles maculatus'' and ''Anopheles sundaicus''.
Clinical features and host pathology The parasite has an approximately 48-hour life cycle and gives rise to a tertian fever. The disease itself appears to be mild with little overt pathology.Its prevalence varies considerably: Wolfe ''et al'' found the highest ''Plasmodium'' spp. prevalence to be 93.5% (29/31) in captive animals but 11.6% (5/43) in wild orangutans. Despite the apparent lack of pathology, a study of the population genetics of the alpha 2 haemoglobin suggested that this parasite (or others like it) has had a significant selective effect on the orangutan genome.It can be transmitted both by blood inoculation and by sporozoite inoculation into splenectomized chimpanzees.
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