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Trichinella papuae and Trichinella zimbabwensis induce infection in experimentally infected varans, caimans, pythons and turtles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2004

E. POZIO ,
G. MARUCCI ,
A. CASULLI ,
L. SACCHI ,
S. MUKARATIRWA ,
C. M. FOGGIN  and
G. LA ROSA
E. POZIO
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 0061 Rome, Italy
G. MARUCCI
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 0061 Rome, Italy
A. CASULLI
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 0061 Rome, Italy
L. SACCHI
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia, Piazza Botta 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
S. MUKARATIRWA
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Paraclinical Veterinary Studies, P.O. Box MP167 Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
C. M. FOGGIN
Affiliation:
Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, P.O. Box CY 551 Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
G. LA ROSA
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 0061 Rome, Italy
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Abstract

The discovery of Trichinella zimbabwensis in farm crocodiles of Zimbabwe has opened up a new frontier in the epidemiology of the Trichinella genus. The objective of the present study was to investigate the infectivity of encapsulated species (T. spiralis, T. nativa, T. britovi, T. murrelli and T. nelsoni) and non-encapsulated species (T. pseudospiralis, T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis) in caimans (Caiman crocodilus), varans (Varanus exanthematicus), pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) and turtles (Pelomedusa subrufa) raised at their natural temperature range (26–32 °C). Mice and chickens were used as controls. At 6 days post-infection (p.i.), adult worms were detected in the small intestine of reptiles infected with T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis, of chickens infected with T. pseudospiralis and of mice infected with all encapsulated and non-encapsulated species. At 60 days p.i., T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis adult worms were collected from the intestine of varans and caimans and larvae from muscles of the four reptile species, T. pseudospiralis larvae from muscles of chickens, and larvae of all Trichinella species from mouse muscles. The highest reproductive capacity index of both T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis was observed in varans. The results show that T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis are able to complete their entire life-cycle in both poikilothermic and homoiothermic animals.

Keywords

Trichinella papuaeTrichinella zimbabwensisreptilecaimanvaranpythonturtlebody temperatureexperimental infection
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 128 , Issue 3 , March 2004 , pp. 333 - 342
Copyright
2004 Cambridge University Press

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