EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON THE INVIVO AND INVITRO MULTIPLICATION OF TRYPANOSOMA-DANILEWSKYI LAVERAN ET MESNIL

Temperature directly affected the in vivo and in vitro multiplication of Trypanosoma danilewskyi Laveran et Mesnil. The parasitemia in exper imentally infected goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) increased rapidly a t 20-degrees-C and reached its peak in 3 to 5 weeks post-infection. Th e multiplication was slower at 10-degrees-C. The parasitemia declined after the peak at 20-degrees-C. Lowering of temperature of the infecte d goldfish from 20-degrees-C to 10-degrees-C slowed multiplication of the parasite. Similarly, raising of temperature of infected fish from 10-degrees-C to 20-degrees-C resulted in rapid multiplication of the p arasite. These were confirmed in the in vitro studies. It is suggested that lower temperature slows the multiplication of the parasites beca use T. danilewskyi is a parasite of a warm water host (Carassius aurat us gibelio Bloch).