The Reproductive Behavior of Plasmodium cathemerium in Duck and Chick Embryos

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Abstract
Propagation of avian plasmodia in avian embryos has provided opportunities to compare various malarias in a host that is almost completely susceptible and may have its environment rather precisely controlled. The course of infection of P. cathe-merium in duck and chick embryos was studied and compared with in-fections produced by P. lophurae, P. circumflexum and P. gallinaceum. Established infections in duck embryos were quite similar, but P. cathemerium, unlike the other plasmodia, was unable to establish itself in chick embryos. A count of segmenting parasites of P. cathemerium in duck embryos indicated a peak of segmentation occurring on a single evening from 7-12 midnight. After the one peak of reproduction the synchronicity of reproduction was lost. Thus, even in a host in which light and temperature are controlled the parasite exhibits an inherent tendency to segment at a 24-hour interval.