18 Plasmodium Malariae (Grassi and Feletti, 1890)
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18 Plasmodium malariae (Grassi and Feletti, 1890) malariae should be declared valid as the de facto SYNONYMS: name and credited to Grassi and Feletti, 1890. Haemamoeba malariae Feletti and Grassi, 1889; Part of this was accomplished, Opinion 283, Plasmodium malariae M. and C. var. quartanae under the Plenary Powers of the Commission on Celli and Sanfelice, 1891; Plasmodium malariae Zoological Nomenclature (Hemming, 1954), but quartanae Kruse, 1892; Haemamoeba laverani credit for the name was given to Grassi and var. quartanae Labbe, 1894; Haemosporidium Feletti, 1889. It now appears that the 1889 tertianae Lewkowicz, 1897; ? Plasmodium pamphlet, which is said to have given the rodhaini Brumpt, 1939. authorship in reverse, is no longer extant and There is little doubt that Laveran saw this therefore the order of authorship cannot be parasite in fresh blood of patients in Algeria in verified. In 1890, Grassi and Feletti gave 1880 because his illustrations show schizonts malariae as the specific name for the quartan with 8 merozoites arranged in the typical rosette parasite in the genus Haemamoeba, and on the and a central body of pigment. In his opinion, basis of priority, that date is valid. Following the human malaria parasites belonged to one this, Grassi and Feletti (1892) described and species and, possibly for that reason, he did not illustrated the quartan parasite, as seen in the propose a name. He recognized the phenomenon peripheral blood, and separated it from the other of periodicity but rejected the idea that it might blood-inhabiting forms in man and birds under be a clue toward the taxonomy of the malarias. the name H. malariae Grassi and Feletti. Golgi in a short note to the Royal Academy Garnham (1966) holds that "in view of the of Medicine in Turin (1885) first recognized the authority of this paper, and the disappearance of periodic succession of fever attacks and in 1889 all traces of the original 1889 pamphlet", the he clearly showed how to separate tertian and name should be credited to Grassi and Feletti quartan fevers by linking the development of a 1892. The tenet that authority is a valid basis for particular brood of parasites to the fever episode. assigning credit is unacceptable, and in view of He was definite in pointing out that if only the loss of the 1889 paper and the fact that the young forms are present in the circulating blood Regles had to be suspended in order to validate there will be 1 or 2 days, depending on the the de facto name, it appears to us, therefore, species, free of fever. Golgi was also able to that the correct name for the human quartan demonstrate quotidian fevers in both tertian and parasite is Plasmodium malariae (Grassi and quartan infections and postulated, correctly, that Feletti, 1890). the phenomenon was due to double and triple Plasmodium malariae is a cosmopolitan broods of parasites. This important contribution parasite which develops where the summer to the biology of these parasites was more or less isotherm does not fall below 15° C (59° F). Its ignored at the time and then virtually forgotten distribution is variable and spotty. Why this is until well after the turn of the century. true no one has been able to explain although In attempting to arrive at the correct name numerous theories have been advanced; it is and credit for the quartan parasite of man, one still, one of the unsolved problems in the runs into considerable difficulties. Coatney and biology of human quartan malaria. Young (1941) in reviewing the problem arrived One theory to account for its unique at the conclusion that the name Plasmodium distribution was that because the parasite 209 210 PRIMATE MALARIAS requires an extended sporogonic cycle, its It may well be that one or more of these greatest prevalence would be in areas where the factors, along with changes in the environment vector was able to survive for the longest time. which might facilitate transmission, play a part This might obtain in some areas, but it in the unique distribution of quartan malaria sometimes reaches its highest incidence in parts throughout the world. But whatever the of the tropics where the vector has only a short explanation may be, it appears that P. malariae life. is probably the oldest parasite in terms of time, Another theory was that quartan malaria and although Knowles et al (1930) considered it demands a special vector. It is true, that a disappearing parasite, it might well be that experimental infections in mosquitoes are instead of dying out, it has 'learned' during its difficult to produce and when obtained, the long association with man how to cope with oocysts fail to develop at a uniform rate which adversity and, when conditions permit, to enjoy probably accounts for the varied results obtained prosperity. by such workers as Mayne (1932), Mer (1933), This is illustrated in the work of Field and and others. However, the special vector theory Shute (1956) where they site that in West hardly seems to cover the problem either Malaysia "quartan infections are not commonly because many species transmit the parasite: A. found in hospital patients--less than five per cent atroparvus, A. sacharovi, A. stephensi et al. of the admissions . .--but there are localized The third theory, rested on the presence of areas where P. malariae is the dominant an animal reservoir in certain tropical regions. species." In areas of high transmission of all This might be applicable if one is concerned species, P. falciparum is dominant for a few with certain areas in tropical Africa where months, whereupon, it is succeeded by P. vivax, chimpanzees harbor P. rodhaini. In man, that which holds center stage for a time only to be parasite takes on the attributes of P. malariae replaced by P. malariae which has 'learned' to and, in some quarters, is considered to be P. wait in the wings. Field and Shute call it a malariae. The inui parasites of India and the "residual infestation" which pretty well sums up Malaysian area are morphologically distinct the life-cycle of P. malariae. It is a highly from human quartan and so far only one strain successful parasite in that it can live in a host has been established in man. The rest of the Old longer than any other malaria and without World is without any zoonotic connection to renewed activity from fixed tissue parasites, it explain the persistence of quartan malaria. In the causes the host relatively little inconvenience New World, the situation is altogether different because of its symbiotic nature and, it is always than it is in Africa or the Far East, because it ready, during periods of recrudescence, to gain appears relatively clear that the quartan malaria access to a cooperative vector and, hence, of monkeys (P. brasilianum) came from man, perpetuate the species. hence an anthroponosis, rather than the other way around. 212 PRIMATE MALARIAS PLASMODIUM MALARIAE 213 Cycle in the Blood clumped in a loose mass in the center of the cell, surrounded by more or less symmetrically PLATE XXXIII arranged merozoites, to give the "rosette" effect The first stage to appear in the peripheral so characteristic of the species. The number of blood is the familiar ring-stage, not shown as a merozoites may be from 6 to 12, sometimes 14; true ring on the plate, a circle of cytoplasm, and the average is 8 (Figs. 17-22). a spherical bit of chromatin enclosing a vacuole. The young gametocytes are very similar to It very shortly occupies one-fourth to one-third the asexual forms which makes it virtually of the parasitized cell and sometimes exhibits an impossible to distinguish them with certainty accessory chromatin dot (Figs. 4, 5). Although until about the 54th hour when the asexual forms this parasite generally displays denser cytoplasm begin segmentation (Fig. 23). The mature and chromatin than P. vivax, it is difficult to macrogametocyte exhibits a heavy deeply- separate them at this stage because they are staining blue cytoplasm with a small, eccentric, about the same size. The parasite grows more well-defined deep red-staining nucleus. The slowly than any of the other human malarias. pigment is scattered. The parasite completely The vacuole disappears after a few hours. In the fills the host cell (Fig. 24). The cytoplasm of the living condition, the movement is sluggish. adult microgametocyte takes a light bluish-pink Pigment granules appear early in its growth and stain. The pigment is limited to this area of the sometimes a granule may appear in the late ring- parasite. The nucleus is diffuse, takes a pinkish- stage. The pigment increases rapidly; half grown blue stain, and may occupy about half the cell. parasites may exhibit 30 to 50 jet-black granules The parasite fills the entire host cell (Fig. 25). (Figs. 12, 13) in contrast to the rod-like pigment Ordinarily, microgametocytes outnumber the found in P. vivax. macrogametocytes but this may vary with As the parasite grows, it assumes various different strains. shapes. Some appear stretched out like a ribbon The asexual cycle requires 72 hours. across the host cell and are known as band forms (Figs. 6, 10, 11). Band forms are found in other species, but are more frequent in P. malariae Sporogonic Cycle and hence are considered diagnostic. These PLATE XXXIV forms may be seen at any time until the parasite Observations have been made by a number virtually fills the host cell which is not enlarged of workers concerning the sporogonic cycle of or blanched. At about the 54th hour, Plasmodium malariae, but Shute and Maryon segmentation begins, and by the 65th hour, the (1952) carried out the first definitive studies.