It was first isolated from the blood of a shining thicket rat (Thamnomys rutilans) in the Central African Republic.

In Anopheles stephensi the parasite synchronizes its circadian and diurnal rhythms with the host's.

[9] Schneider et al., 2018 finds P. chabaudi is selected to take advantage of the cycles of feeding and lowered immunity of the mosquito.

Landau 1965 and 66 did however find them to suffer to some severe degree, as did Ellerman 1940 in the sympatric and genetically close Grammomys surdaster.

[11][12][13] Therefore Reece et al., 2008 find P. chabaudi will bias toward a more even ratio at lower densities and when several clonal lineages are competing with each other in the same host.

Zinger et al., 2003 deliberately infected mice with the parasite and found reduced symptoms of autoimmunity.