Effects of feeding schedules on diurnal periodicity of Leucocytozoon smithi gametocytes in the peripheral blood of domestic turkeys.
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 p.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.
D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000254:growth & development*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003624:Darkness; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D008027:Light; D014422:Turkeys / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology