Transplantation of Heterakis Gallinarum Larvae: Effects on Development of H
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OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME 39, NUMBER 1, JANUARY 1972 59 tained the highest combined egg counts for 8 erate degree of sanitation. Proc. Helm. Soc. of the 12 months. Market hogs and young pigs Wash. 12: 6-12. passed a higher number of eggs in their feces Batte, E. G., D. J. Moncol, A. C. Todd, and in July and August than at other times of the R. S. Isenstein. 1965. Critical evaluation year. The number of Trichuris eggs in feces of an antheknintic for swine. Vet. Med./Small was highest during the summer and fall months Anim. Clin. 60: 539-545. (Fig. 2), although the incidence of this nema- , and . 1966. Internal parasites tode was low throughout the study. Numbers of swine. North Carolina State Univ. Anim. of Strongyloides eggs were highest also during Science Rep. 171, Vet. Series No. 7: 1-5. July and August in feces of pigs under 12 weeks Kish, A. J. 1968. Clemson University and South of age (Fig. 2). The numbers of Ascaris eggs Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station cli- increased significantly in feces from brood matological data. Agric. Weather Res. Ser. sows during November, and in feces of market No. 19: 1-40. hogs during June and July (Fig. 3). Irregular . 1969. Clemson University Agricultural peaks of egg production were characteristic Experiment Station weather records. of Oesophagostomum spp. throughout the 12- Lanham, W. J., and C. H. Whitworth. 1967. month period (Fig. 4). South Carolina livestock and poultry statistics. U.S.D.A. Crop and Livestock Series No. 53: Ackno wledgmen ts 1-24. The authors thank Dr. T. B. Stewart, Mr. Spindler, L. A. 1934. The incidence of worm C. W. Ackerman, Dr. W. E. Johnston, Dr. J. B. parasites in swine in the southern United Kissam, and Mrs. Janice Riddle for advice and States. Proc. Helm. Soc. Wash. 1: 40-42. assistance in various aspects of this study. Stewart, T. B., and B. L. Southwell. 1960. The economic importance of internal para- Literature Cited sites of swine and their control by manage- Andrews, J. S., and J. W. Connelly. 1945. ment and treatment. Ga. Coastal Plain Exp. Worm parasites in swine raised under a mod- Sta. Mimeo Ser. N.S. 102: 1-13. Transplantation of Heterakis gallinarum Larvae: Effects on Development of H. gallinarum and the Transmission of Parahistomonas wenrichi EVERETT E. LUND United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Parasite Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 ABSTRACT: Following the rectal transfer of 10-day-old larvae of Heterakis gallinarum from young chickens to young turkeys, 45% of the worms were lost in the first 24 hr, and only 30% of those transferred sur- vived 4 days or more. Most of these remained to maturity, but their development was retarded about 5 days. Parahistomonas wenrichi was detected in the cecal discharges of seven of the 12 turkeys only 7 days after they had received the 10-day larvae rectally, 3 days sooner than has ever been observed for infections acquired by natural means. These early infections must have been initiated by histomonads liberated during the first 4% days following the transfer of the larvae, this being also die time of greatest loss of larvae in the recipient birds. Infections with P. wenrichi are probably initiated principally, if not exclusively, by organisms liberated by the death and dissolution of the larvae harboring them. During a recent study of the acquisition of were grown 10 days in one host and then histomonads by the cecal worm, Heterakis gal- transferred to the rectum of another to com- linarum (Schrank, 1788) Madsen, 1949, worms plete their development (Lund, 1971). Such Copyright © 2011, The Helminthological Society of Washington 60 PROCEEDINGS OF THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY transfers appeared to have had certain influ- develop undisturbed. These 10 control chick- ences on the development of the heterakids that ens and the 12 recipient poults were necropsied could not be explored at that time because of the 40 days after the initial feeding of embryonated specific requirements of the experiment. The Heterakis eggs. Fresh smears of the cecal con- present study was designed to ascertain the tents were examined microscopically for P. effects of such transfer on both the heterakids wenrichi, and all Heterakis were removed from and the nonpathogenic histomonad, Parahis- each bird. These worms were then separated tomonas wenrichi (Lund, 1963) Honigberg and according to sex, counted, and all females Kuldova, 1969, that these worms were carrying. placed in 1.0% formalin to permit embryona- tion of the eggs (Clapham, 1933). The embry- Materials and Methods onated eggs in each female heterakid were then The eggs of Heterakis gallinarum were from counted so an estimate could be made of the a strain of cecal worms that had transmitted degree of development and extent of fertility only Parahistomonas wenrichi during the past attained by each female in each bird. three generations. The chickens were first-gen- eration crosses of New Hampshire males and Results Barred Plymouth Rock females, 5 weeks old Ten days after having been fed 150 embryo- when inoculated. The turkeys were Beltsville nated Heterakis eggs, the 15 chickens on the Small Whites, 6 weeks old when given the preliminary test yielded a total of 523 larvae. Heterakis larvae. Because of losses during the several washings, Two tests were run, the first to determine only 451 were transferred to the 15 turkeys. the proportion of larvae that were retained for Five turkeys necropsied the next day had a certain intervals after rectal transfer, and the total of 83 larvae, or 55% of the number they second to determine the effects of a single had received. The two turkeys necropsied 4 disturbance (the transfer) on the liberation of days after the transfer retained only 28% of the P. wenrichi and the ultimate maturation of the larvae received. Retention apparently stabi- heterakids. lized at about this level, as the eight turkeys For the preliminary test, each of 15 chickens necropsied on the 13th day retained 29% of received 150 embryonated Heterakis eggs ob- the larvae given them. Inasmuch as worm tained and administered as described in an counts could not be made at the above intervals earlier report (Lund, 1967). Ten days later, for the recipient turkeys on the second test, each chicken was necropsied and its heterakid the curve shown for retention of larvae by the larvae were counted and quickly washed in latter birds during the interval between trans- six changes of physiologic saline at 37 C. The fer and necropsy (Fig. 1) is based on the above larvae were immediately rectally transferred to findings. a turkey, which was suspended head down for Parahistomonas wenrichi was not detected in 20 min so the larvae would be carried to the any of the 15 donor chickens or the first seven ceca (Browne, 1922; Lund, 1955). Five of turkeys to be necropsied, but was present in these turkey foster hosts were necropsied after three of seven turkeys in which it was sought 1 day, two after 4 days, and the remainder at the 13-day necropsy. (Inadvertently, one after 13 days. turkey necropsied at 13 days was not examined The second test was started in a similar man- for P. wenrichi.} ner except that each of 24 chickens was given The results of the second test are summarized 360 embryonated Heterakis eggs. Twelve of in Table 1. The 12 donor chickens, necropsied these chickens were necropsied 10 days later, 10 days after having received 360 embryonated each providing larvae for a turkey by the Heterakis eggs, yielded a total of 1,418 larvae, method previously described. These 12 turkeys a recovery of 33%. Because of losses during were then caged individually and the cecal the several washings, only 926 were transferred discharges of each were examined daily for to the 12 turkeys, an average of 77 larvae per P. wenrichi. The remaining chickens (now 10 recipient, or (as depicted in Fig. 1) 21.4% of because two had died from cage injuries) were the original inoculum of 360 embryonated eggs. held as controls in which the heterakids could Parahistomonas wenrichi was detected in Copyright © 2011, The Helminthological Society of Washington OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME 39, NUMBER 1, JANUARY 1972 61 LIBERATION OF P WEN RICH I 100 LARVAE 90 \M TRANSFERRED INCIDENCE 80 OF R WENRICHI \ FROM 70 UNDISTURBED LARVAE-^ '60 LU O 50 rr ' 30 20 HETERAKIS RECOVERED - 10 *—TRANSFERRED'~ 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 DAYS AFTER INOCULATION Figure 1. Comparison of the retention of undisturbed Heterakis with those transferred as 10-day larvae, and the cumulative incidence of Parahistomonas wenrichi accompanying each situation. The vertical line at 10 days represents the time of transfer of the larvae. On it, the incidence of infection with P. wenrichi from undisturbed larvae, the per cent of 10-day Heterakis larvae recovered and trans- ferred, and the calculated frequency of effective liberations of P. wenrichi by transferred larvae (shaded area) are plotted. With regard to the latter circumstance, such liberations can be considered as having started soon after the larvae were transferred, to have attained 83% by day 4, and 100% by day 5 follow- ing transfer. only one of the donor chickens. However, it 142 of the 307 heterakids were females, most appeared in the cecal discharges of seven of of which appeared 4 or 5 days younger than the 12 turkeys 7 days after the larvae were their actual age of 40 days, as adjudged by transferred. On each of the next 3 days, an the numbers of eggs they contained. Three additional turkey voided cecal discharges con- weeks later, when embryonation should have taining P.