Abstract

The discovery of malaria parasites and of their life cycles is described in particular reference to the three stages through which they pass. Fundamental differences are found in the parasites of reptiles, birds, mammals excluding primates and mammals including primates; the stages in the invertebrate hosts showed a similar phylogenetic sequence, from the sandflies and other primitive insects (reptiles) to culicine mosquitos (birds) to anopheline mosquitos (in mammals). The research occupied a century, beginning in 1880 when Laveran found the first malaria parasite in the blood, and continued with the work of Golgi (periodicity in blood 1885), Danilewsky (avian parasites 1889), MacCallum (exflagellation of microgametocyte, 1897), Ross (mosquito transmission, 1898), Grassi (mosquito cycles of human parasites 1900), Roman School of Marchiafava, Bignami & Bastianelli (pathology 1894), Aragão (cycle of avian parasites in organs, 1908), Stephens (4th human species P. ovale, 1922), Raffaele (exoerythrocytic stages-EE-in birds 1934), Huff (complete EE cycles in birds 1935), Garnham (EE cycle of H. kochi in monkeys 1947), Shortt & Garnham (EE cycles in man 1948) and Krotoski et al. (hypnozoites, origin of relapses 1980). Brief mention is also made of Brumpt & James' discoveries regarding the chicken parasite (P. gallinaceum) and of Vincke's discovery of P. berghei of rodents