Plasmodium relictum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida
Order:	Haemospororida
Family:	Plasmodiidae
Genus:	Plasmodium
Species:	P. relictum
Binomial name
Plasmodium relictum Grassi & Feletti, 1891
Synonyms
Haemamoeba majoris Laveran, 1902 (partim)[1] Haemamoeba relicta Grassi and Feletti, 1891[1] Haemoproteus alaudae Celli and Sanfelice, 1891 (partim)[1] Plasmodium alaudae (Celli and Sanfelice, 1891) emend. Garnham, 1966[1] Plasmodium biziurae (Gilruth, Sweet and Dodd, 1910) emend. Coatney and Roudabush, 1936[1] Plasmodium capistrani Russell, 1932[1] Plasmodium chloropsidis Mello, 1935[1] Plasmodium grassii Labbé, 1894, emend. Coatney and Roudabush, 1936[1] Plasmodium inconstans Hartman, 1927[1] Plasmodium maior Raffaele, 1930[1] Plasmodium majoris Lühe, 1906[1] Plasmodium muniae (Das Gupta and Siddons, 1941) emend. Garnham, 1966[1] Plasmodium paddae Brumpt, 1935[2][1] Plasmodium passeris Johnston and Cleland, 1909[1] Plasmodium pericrocoti Chakravarty and Kar, 1945[1] Plasmodium ploceii Chakravarty and Kar, 1945[1] Plasmodium praecox var. muniae Das Gupta and Siddons, 1941[1] Plasmodium relictum biziurae Gilruth, Sweet and Dodd, 1910, emend. Garnham, 1966[1] Plasmodium relictum capistranoae Russell, 1932, emend. Garnham, 1966[1] Plasmodium relictum spheniscidae Fantham and Porter, 1944, emend. Garnham, 1966[1] Plasmodium relictum var. spheniscidae Fantham and Porter, 1944[1] Proteosoma biziurae Gilruth, Sweet and Dodd, 1910[1] Proteosoma grassii Labbé, 1894[1]

Plasmodium relictum is a species in the genus Plasmodium, subgenus Haemamoeba.

It is a parasite, and the most common cause of malaria in birds.^[3]

Like all Plasmodium species, P. relictum has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are birds.^[3]

Distribution

P. relictum is geographically widespread, and is the most widespread malaria parasite of birds.^[2] Climate change is broadening its distribution further and is expected to continue to do so, including into higher elevations.^[3]

Hosts

Avian

P. relictum infects a wide variety of birds including birds from various orders. Infections in numerous wild birds and experimental animals have been described including partridges, canaries, chickens, ducks, pigeons^[2] and Spheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguins).^{[4][5]: 89 : 595 : 596} Experimental attempts to infect owls were not successful, suggesting owls may not be susceptible to P. relictum.^[2]

Vector

Culex quinquefasciatus, Cu. stigmatosoma and Cu. tarsalis.^[1][3]