Iron deficiency protects inbred mice against infection with Plasmodium chabaudi.

Plasmodium chabaudi infections of NFR/N mice made anemic by dietary iron deficiency produced mortalities of 25% (male) and 7% (female) compared with 100% in iron-sufficient controls. When iron-deficient mice convalescing from the primary infection were returned to the normal diet, 100% experienced recrudescent parasitemia. No recrudescence occurred in mice maintained on the iron-deficient diet.