Life Cycle: Lankesterella spp. (Apicomplexa: Lankesterellidae) are recognized as parasites of frogs and some other ectotherms. Merogony and sporogony occur in vascular endothelial cells in the visceral organs of the vertebrate hosts. Mature sporozoites are released into the bloodstream and invade erythrocytes. Intraerythrocytic sporozoites are taken up by vectors during feeding and it is believed that frogs became infected upon the digestion of sporozoite-bearing vectors. Leeches and mosquitoes have been shown to be capable vectors. (Sailasuta et al., 2011).
Description:
Found in erythrocytes, displays often a characteristic bulge on their concave surface adjacent to the nucleus, colorless, elongate, convex on one side and straight or slightly concave on other.
Sources:Sailasuta, A., Satetasit, J., and Chutmongkonkul, M. 2011. Pathological Study of Blood Parasites in Rice Field Frogs, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus (Wiegmann, 1834). Veterinary Medicine International, Vol. 2011, Article 850568.
