Laverania is a subgenus of the parasite genus Plasmodium. Infection with these species results in malaria. The subgenus was first described in 1958.[1]
The name was first proposed by Welch in 1897 as a genus name for the group now known as Plasmodium but for a variety of reasons the genus name Plasmodium was preferred.
The first non-human primate parasites were described by Eduard Reichenow in Cameroon in 1920. He observed three morphologically distinct Plasmodium parasites in the blood of chimpanzees and gorillas in 1917.[2] These finding were later confirmed by other workers.[3][4] One species closely resembled P. falciparum and was thought to be the same species. This species was later renamed P. reichenowi.[5]
The other two species — P. rhodaini and P. schwetzi — have since been placed in the subgenus Plasmodium.[citation needed]
The noticeable differences between P. falciparum and the other known Plasmodium species led to the proposal that it be placed in a separate genus Laverania.[1] This suggestion was not accepted but the proposed name is now used as the subgenus.[citation needed]
It has been proposed to rename P. gora and P. gorb as Plasmodium adleri and Plasmodium blacklocki respectively.[6] It has also been proposed that P. billbrayi be considered a junior synonym of P. gaboni.[6]