Blood monocyte alteration caused by a hematozoan infection in the lizard Ameiva ameiva (Reptilia: Teiidae).

Although hematozoa have been described from many different host species, little is known about the infection and its relationship to the physiology of the host. We studied a hematozoan, regarded as a species of Lainsonia Landau, 1973 (Lankestereliidae), which infects the monocytes of the lizard Ameiva ameiva. The infected animals show a huge monocytosis and morphological changes in the monocytes.