Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 April 2009
Mouse blood infected with Plasmodium berghei berghei, P. vinckei vinckei or P. vinckei chabaudi, was injected intravenously into 10-day-old chick embryos, and 4 days later further mouse erythrocytes were injected; after 7 days the infection was passed to another embryo with more mouse erythrocytes, and so on. By this procedure, P. berghei was propagated for 39 days through 6 embryos, P. vinckei vinckei for over 45 days through 7 embryos, and P. vinckei chabaudi for over 67 days through 10 embryos. The plasmodia multiplied only in mouse erythrocytes; they invaded a few avian erythrocytes but did not proceed to schizogony in them. P. falciparum, P. knowlesi and P. cynomolgi did not survive in chick embryos longer than 2–3 days. Babesia rodhaini was maintained by this procedure for 9 days through 2 embryos.