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Effects of Feeding Schedules On Diurnal Periodicity of Leucocytozoon Smithi Gametocytes In the Peripheral Blood of Domestic Turkeys *
Author(s) -
NOBLET GAYLE PITTMAN,
GORE THOMAS C.,
NOBLET RAYMOND
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1980.tb04679.x
Subject(s) - gametocyte , biology , photoperiodism , darkness , zoology , peripheral blood , leucocytozoon , light cycle , circadian rhythm , period (music) , endocrinology , immunology , malaria , botany , plasmodium falciparum , physics , acoustics
Eighteen domestic turkeys naturally infected with Leucocytozoon smithi Laveran & Lucet were maintained on restricted feeding schedules under conditions of either continuous light or natural light (light 13 h:darkness 11 h) photoperiods. Peripheral gametocyte numbers of L. smithi in all turkeys were determined every 2 h over a 36‐h period. Peripheral gametocyte numbers of turkeys maintained under continuous light and restricted to either a 10‐h feeding period (9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.) once a day or a 2‐h feeding period twice a day (7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) increased at or near the time of feed availability. Under natural photoperiod, gametocyte periodicity was not affected by restricting feed availability to the dark phase of the light‐dark cycle. Mean parasite numbers were highest during the light phase when feed was not available, and lowest during the dark period when feed was accessible.