Investigations on Mediterranean kala azar IX—Feeding experiment with phlebotomus perniciosus and other species on animals infected with leishmania infantum

Abstract

In the present paper it is intended to analyse the results of feeding experiments with Phlebotomus perniciosus on animals infected with various strains of Leishmania infantum carried out during 1930, 1931, 1932 and 1933. In a previous paper (1931) the results of feeding experiments carried out on a Chinese hamster from June 18 to October 22, 1930, were discussed. Only 330 sandflies infected by feeding on a Chinese hamster inoculated with Catania strains of L. infantum were included, and the results obtained appeared fairly uniform but for one point. A large majority of sandflies had an infection in which flagellates described as "long forms" predominated and only a small proportion (5%) were infected with "short forms" Proboscis infections ( i. e ., infections in the epipharynx) were observed mainly among the latter. The "short form infections" were observed from September 20 till the end of the sandfly season in 1930.