Susceptibility of Peruvian Aotus Monkeys to Infection with Different Species of Plasmodium

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Abstract
Splenectomized Aotus trivirgatus monkeys of Peruvian origin were tested for their susceptibility to infection with different species of Plasmodium. Strains of P. vivax from Vietnam and El Salvador produced infections in eight animals with maximum parasite densities ranging from 2,000–280,000 per mm3. A strain of P. falciparum from Cambodia produced maximum parasitemias in five animals ranging from 8–25% of the red blood cells infected. Although two monkeys inoculated with P. fragile had maximum parasitemias of 31% and 42%, treatment was not necessary for animal survival. Three monkeys infected with P. knowlesi via the bites of infected mosquitoes had maximum parasitemias of from 25-41%; these animals died of their infections. Nine animals were infected with P. cynomolgi; maximum parasitemias in seven of these animals with no prior history of malarial infection ranged from 49,500 per mm3 to 11%; two animals with prior experience with P. vivax and P. fragile had maximum P. cynomolgi parasitemias of 65 and 13,200 per mm3. No infections were obtained in animals inoculated with P. coatneyi or P. hylobati.