The Influence of Strain, Sex and Age of Mice on Infection with Plasmodium Berghei

Mice of the DBA and C57 Black inbred strains and their B D F1 hybrid were inoculated with Plasmodium berghei. The 76 DBA mice lived a mean of 9.9 days; 45 C57 Black mice, 15.9 days; and 63 B D F1 mice, 20.5 days. There were no significant differences among the mice in resistance to multiplication of the parasite, but the F1 hybrid mice were able to survive longer with higher parasitemia than either of its parents. Female mice of the same strain survived longer than males, and survival increased with the age of the mice.