| piroplasm | Class of Protista, Phylum Apicomplexa (Sporozoa or Telosporidea), which includes Babesia. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| Piroplasma | Former name for Babesia. Origin: L. Pirum, pear, + G. Plasma, a thing formed (05 Mar 2000) |
| piroplasmia | A subclass of heteroxenous parasitic protozoa usually transmitted by ticks. Its organisms are rod-shaped or amoeboid with conoid, oocysts, spores, and pseudocysts absent. Locomotion is by body flexion, gliding, or, in sexual stages, by large axopodium-like organelles. (12 Dec 1998) |
| piroplasmida | An order of protozoa comprising heteroxenous tick-borne blood parasites. Representative genera include babesia, dactylosoma, and theileria. (12 Dec 1998) |
| piroplasmosis | <microbiology> A rare, often severe (and sometimes fatal) illness in man that is caused by infection with the protozoal organism, Babesia microti. The disease, transmitted by ticks, occurs mostly in the Northeastern United States. The protozoan invades red blood cells causing fever, chills, sweats, joint pains, nausea, vomiting and red blood cell haemolysis (rupture) leading to anaemia. (27 Sep 1997) |