SURVIVAL, GROWTH AND FLAGELLATION OF LEISHMANIA DONOVANI IN THE PRESENCE OF CONTAMINATION WITH BACTERIA

Department of Medicine. Peiping Union Medical College. Peiping. Oiina. The presence of iable and infective Leishmania donovatai in theoral and na_al secretions of thirteen out of fourteen patients sufferingfrom Kala-azar (1,2) has led us to alter our concept concerning the re-sistance of this parasite to bacterial contamination. The accepted be-lief that Leishmania donovani is a delicate organism and that it cannotsurvive in the presence of common bacteria wa. challenged by our stu-dies on patients suffering from kala-azar. The experiments reported inthis communication were designed to test more specifically the exactrelationship which exists in vitro between Leishmania donovani andsome of the common bacteria with which they may be associated in themammalian host.