Dietary suppression of rodent malaria

It is known that the nutritional status of a host exerts an effect on the course, and extent of many infections, including that of malaria (SCRIMSHAW et al., 1968). However, the influence of protein, one of the most important constituents of any diet, on the development of malaria is still open to question. The authors have examined this important question using synthetic diets of precise composition and identical in all respects other than the amount of protein present. The results show that morbidity associated with Plasmodium berghei infection in rats can be related to the protein intake of the animal, but it is not a simple relationship. The protein to energy ratio of the diet is the more important factor.