Fig. 1

Ex vivo parasite development in normal and variant Hb erythrocytes. a Parasite density on D0, b asexual parasite multiplication rates, c gametocytaemia on D4 and d gametocyte conversion rate. a Giemsa-stained thin blood smears prepared from AS n = 15, AC n = 19 and AA n = 45 D0 samples were used to determined asexual parasitaemia. b The fold increase in asexual parasite densities in samples counted on D6 were compared to that counted in the same culture on D4 from AS n = 12, AC n = 14 and AA n = 40 samples. c Gametocyte densities in samples from AS n = 12, AC n = 14 and AA n = 43 examined on D4. d D4 Gametocyte conversion rate, represented by the % of the D0 ring stage parasites that develop into early stage (II) gametocytes by D4 from AS n = 12, AC n = 14 and AA n = 43 samples. Parasite infected RBCs in the thin blood smears were counted against 1000 RBCs for asexual parasite density estimation and 20,000 RBCs for gametocyte densities