What is "leucocytozoon"

n. parasitic in birds [syn: leucocytozoan]

'Leucocytozoon ' (or Leukocytozoon) is a genus of parasitic protozoa belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. The parasites were first seen by Vasily Danilewsky in 1884 in blood from an owl. The genus was created by Ziemann in 1898. This taxon was revised by Berestneff in 1904 and then by Sambon in 1908.

The species of this genus use blackflies ( Simulium species) as their definitive host and birds as their intermediate host. There are over 100 species in this genus. Over 100 species of birds have been recorded as hosts to these parasites.