본 연구는 내수면 양식 어류에 백점충, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis를 인위 감염시켜 감염 특성 및 어체내 충체 발달상을 밝히고자 하였다. 어종별(무지개 송어, 메기, 이스라엘 잉어), 수온별($15^{circ}C$, $18^{circ}C$, $21^{circ}C$) 및 충체 발달 단계별(trophont, protomont, theront) 인위 감염 시험 결과, 어종별로는 무지개 송어 시험구에서, 수온별로는 $18^{circ}C$ 시험구에서 그리고 충체 발달 단계별로는 theront 시험구에서 양성적인 인위 감염을 확인할 수 있었다. 그리고 theront 농도별에 있어서는 어체당 1000개체의 theront가 감염을 양성적으로 유도할 수 있는 것으로 조사되었으며 어체당 1500개체 이상의 theront는 무지개 송어치어에 100%의 감염을 유도하였다. 수온 $18^{circ}C$의 인위 감염된 무지개 송어에서 7일 동안 어체내 충체의 발달 과정을 조사한 결과, 충체는 시간이 경과함에 따라 연속적인 발달을 행하여 크기가 증대되었으며 감염 3일째부터는 성숙되는 것으로 확인되었다. 그리고 총체의 형태학적 변화는 감염 2일째에는 구부장치가 기능적으로 발달하기 시작한 것을 볼 수 있었고, 감염 4일째부터는 수축포가 현저히 발달되기 시작하였으며 감염 6일째는 이들의 수가 현저히 증가한 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 그리고 감염 기간이 경과함에 따라 충체는 숙주의 아가미 일차 새변의 입새 동맥쪽으로 이동하는 경향을 나타내었다.
Concerned to the lyfe cycle of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, the experimental infection and development of the parasites were studied in the several freshwater cultured fishes. Opitimum conditions for the propagation of the parasite by serial passage with the rainbow trout fry was observed. Visiable white spots were examined in the body surface, fins and gills of the healthy fries, and a stable infection has been maintained for 2 months in the experimental system (Temperature: $18{pm}1^{circ}C$ DO: 7-7.5 ppm; pH: $7{pm}0.2$). Induction conditions for artificial infection of the parasite by interms of the host fishes, stages of the parasites, and rearing temperature regimes was investigated. Rainbow trout fries showed a positive infection which was resulted from exposure of theront at $18^{circ}C$. The rainbow trout fries induced white spots on the body surface at 3-7 days exposure to the theronts at $18^{circ}C$. It was found that exposure of the rainbow trout fries exposed to 1,000 theronts per fish (10 theront/ml) for 45-60 minutes at $18^{circ}C$ would consistently produce infection. Perfect infection (100%) was induced when the fries were exposed to 1,500 theront per fish (15 theront/ml) under laboratory condition. Development of I. multifiliis in the rainbow trout was observed for 7 days postexposure (PE). The parasite increased in average diameter from $54{mu}m$ on the 1st day PE to $426{mu}m$ on the 7th day PE. In the initial infestation period, the parasites were found on the gill epithelium, and on the 3rd day PE they invaded into the basal part of the gill filament adjacent to the major blood vessels, particularly the afferent vessels. Morphological change of buccal apparatus were observed on the 2nd day PE. Contractile vacuoles were more prominent on the 4th day PE, and they had notable changes on the 7th day PE.
