Biology 625
ANIMAL PARASITOLOGY
Fall semester lecture note outline

Updated: 24 September 2003

1. macrogametes and microgamonts develop independently
2. syzygy absent
3. microgametocyte produces 8 flagellated microgametes
4. zygote motile (ookinete)
5. conoid present in ookinete stage only
6. sporozoites naked in oocyst (without sporocysts)
7. heteroxenous, with merogony and gamogony in vertebrate host and fertilization and sporogony in definitive host (blood sucking insect)
8. hemozoin pigment produced in some genera
9. all 10 genera within the single family Plasmodiidae
10. genera distinguished by structure of erythrocytic stages, type of endogenous development in tissues, and the type of vector employed
    1. Haemoproteus
       1. gamonts in erythrocytes
       2. merogony in endothelial cells of blood vessels, especially in lungs; no erythrocytic merogony
       3. hemozoin produced
       4. vectors hippoboscid flies, gnats, and tabanids
       5. vertebrate hosts birds, reptiles, and amphibia
       6. about 160 named species
    2. Leukocytozoon
       1. gamonts in leukocytes and/or erythrocytes
       2. merogony in visceral organs; no erythrocytic merogony
       3. hemozoin absent
       4. vectors blackflies or gnats
       5. vertebrate hosts birds
       6. about 60 named and valid species
    3. Plasmodium
       1. gamonts in erythrocytes
       2. merogony in erythrocytes and in other tissues
       3. hemozoin present
       4. vectors mosquitos or sandflies
       5. vertebrate hosts include mammals, birds, reptiles
       6. about 180 named species
    4. You will not be tested over the following genera: Dionisia (in bats); Hepatocystis (bats, monkeys, hippopotami, squirrels); Mesnilium (in fish); Nycteria (in bats), Polchromophilus (in bats); Rayella (flying squirrels); Saurocytozoon (reptiles)
11. some malarias are relapsing malarias, where dormant sporozoites or merozoites may re-inititate infections when immunity wanes
12. typical Plasmodium sp life-cycle
    1. sporozoites enter wound with bite of vector; in this case mosquitos
    2. to liver (some sporozoites of some species may remain dormant to initiate infections when immunity wanes. Termed hypnozoites).
    3. undergo 1-2 asexual (merogonous) generations (exoerthrocytic cycle)
    4. merozoites liberated (some may remain dormant to initiate infections later when immunity wanes. Termed cystozoites).
    5. enter erythrocytes
    6. undergo merogony (erythrocytic cycle)
    7. merozoites rupture from meront (segmenter; schizont) and initate new infection in new erythrocyte
    8. some malarias have merogonous cycles that become synchronized; typically 48-72 hour cycles
    9. some merozoites form gamonts (macrogamonts and microgamonts)
    10. gamonts ingested by vector
    11. microgamont rapidly matures into microgametocyte; exflagellation where the 8 microgametes are released
    12. fertilization
    13. zygote motile (ookinete) and migrates across gut wall
    14. oocysts develop in cells under serosal membrane, and project into hemocoel
    15. sporozoites form in oocysts, rupture, and migrate to salivary glands
13. representative species
    1. Haemoproteus columbae (columbiform birds/dipterans)
    2. Haemoproteus meleagridis (turkeys/hippoboscids)
    3. Haemoproteus nettionis (anseriform birds/midges)
    4. Leukocytozoon caulleryi (chickens/midges)
    5. Leukocytozoon simondi (anseriform birds/blackflies)
    6. Leukocytozoon smithi (turkeys/blackflies)
    7. Plasmodium berghi (rodents/mosquitos)
    8. Plasmodium cathemerium (passeriform birds/mosquitos)
    9. Plasmodium relictum (passeriform and columbiform birds/mosquitos)
14. Malaria has been used as a biological warfare agent. In 1809, Napoleon flooded the Holland countryside to allow malaria to become rampant. The British Army (Walcheren) expedition became so stricken between August and October of that year that they were unable to sustain the campaign. Over 4,000 troops are reported to have died of the disease and another 10,000 could no longer continue with military service. In her book "The Miraculous Fever-Tree: Malaria and the Quest for a Cure that Changed the World," Fiammetta Rocco quotes Napoleon as stating "We must oppose the English with nothing but fever, which will soon devour them all."
15. A variety of notable people have been reported to have had malaria. Below I list a few based on reports from multiple sources. I know of several others that I have not yet confirmed (i.e. Thoreau). If you know of any that are unlisted, and I'm sure there are many, please let me know:
    1. American Presidents
       1. George Washington, 1st president (1789-1797) developed his first bout with malaria in Virginia in 1749 at age 17. He had periodic attacks, recorded in 1752, 1761, 1784, and 1798. He was treated in 1784, which either didn't work or he acquired a new infection
       2. James Monroe, 5th president (1817-1825) caught malaria while visiting a swampy area along the Mississippi in 1785. He continued to have bouts for many years
       3. Andrew Jackson, 7th president (1829-1837) is thought to have contracted malaria in Florida swamps during the Seminole campaigns of 1818-1821
       4. Abraham Lincoln, 16th president (1861-1865) had periodic bouts of malaria when growing up
       5. Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president (1869-1877) had "ague" throughout the 1850's
       6. James A. Garfield, 20th president (1881) developed "ague" in 1848 in Ohio at age 16
       7. Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president (1901-1909) acquired malaria during a visit to Brazil in 1914
       8. John F. Kennedy, 35th president (1961-1963) acquired malaria during WWII, about 1943
    2. Entertainers/Newscasters
       1. Don Adams, actor and director, acquired malaria at Guadalcanal during WWII
       2. Actor Errol Flynn's recurrent bouts of malaria kept him out of WWII
       3. Actress Peta Wilson (La Femme Nikita), raised in Papau, New Guinea, had malaria in 1975 at age 14
       4. Actress Carol Landis acquired malaria (and amoebic dysentery) while touring with the USO in the South Pacific in 1945
       5. Actor Raymond Burr had numerous bouts of malaria during his life, presumably acquired during WWII
       6. Actor and war hero Audie Murphy acquired malaria in Italy during WWII
       7. Actor Michael Dudikoff (American Ninja) acquired malaria while filming in the Philippines
       8. Al Jolson acquired malaria during WWII while touring with the USO in the mid-1940's
       9. Chris Matthews (MSNBCs Hardball) was hospitalized in 2003 due to malaria that he apparently contracted in Africa or Israel
    3. Athletes
       1. Roberto Clemente, baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates 1955-1972, developed malaria in 1965
       2. Portsmouth soccer star Yakubu Aiyegbeni was hit with malaria after a visit to Nigeria in 2003
       3. Dikembe Mutombo, star center for the New Jersey Nets (and formerly with the Atlanta Hawks), acquired malaria while visiting family in the Congo in the Fall of 2000
    4. Davy Crockett, outdoorsman and congressman, acquired malaria in 1827
    5. King Edward IV died in 1483 of various complications, including malaria
    6. Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, died of malaria in 1658
    7. Louisa Maria, Queen of Spain, was cured of malaria with quinine ("Jesuit's powder") by Robert Talbor in 1678
    8. King Charles II had recorded bouts of malaria in 1678 and 1679. In 1679 and was cured using quinine ("Jesuit's powder") by Robert Talbor
    9. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, surgeon and writer, developed malaria in the 1880's
    10. Meriwether Lewis, explorer, developed malaria in 1803
    11. Jefferson Davis, politician and Provisional President of the Confederate States of America, developed malaria in 1835 in Louisiana. He eventually died of the disease in 1889.
    12. Civil war general George B. McClellan acquired malaria in Mexico in the late 1840's
    13. General John J. Pershing developed a bout of malaria in 1898
    14. Mahatma Gandhi suffered periodic bouts of malaria throughout the 1930's and 1940's
    15. Lord Horatio Nelson suffered from period bouts of malaria in the 1760's and 1770's
    16. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry ("We have met the enemy and they are ours..."), who is often credited with winning the war of 1812 with his major victory at the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, is reputed to have contracted malaria in Venezuela and died of the disease in 1819
    17. Leon Trotsky had a bout of malaria in 1923
    18. Lord Byron died of malaria in Greece in 1824
    19. Mother Teresa was hospitalized with malaria in 1993
    20. Eugene O'Neill, playwrite, acquired malaria while prospecting for gold in Honduras in 1909
    21. Christopher Columbus had to cut short his fourth voyage to the new world in 1503, again attempting to find a sea route to Asia, due (in part) to malaria.
    22. Giambattista Castana was elected Pope Urban VII in 1590, but died of malaria before his coronation
    23. Emperor Kangxi, second Emperor of the Qing dynasty, ruled 61 years between 1661 and 1722. He was cured of malaria by French Jesuit missionairies in about 1693
    24. Emperor Titus of Rome died of fever in 81 A.D. It is thought this may have been due to malaria
    25. Genghis Khan is thought to have died in 1227 of malaria
    26. Alexander the Great is reputed by many scholars to have died of malaria in 323 BC