The Resistance of Egg-Laying Ducks to Infection by the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium lophurae

Abstract

Ten male and 20 female White Pekin ducks 6 to 7 mos. old were inoculated intraven. with large doses of P. lophurae. In 9 of the 12 female ducks with active ovaries at the time of infection, the parasites underwent little or no multiplication. All 8 of the females with inactive ovaries developed heavy infections, as did 7 of the 10 males. The avg. free biotin and bound biotin-active lipoid material of the plasma before inoculation were highest in the egg-laying females, lowest in the males and intermediate in the females with inactive ovaries.