Heterologous experimental schistosome infection and fluke recovery from the goats

Abstract

Occurrence of heterologous schistosome infections and behaviour of the blood flukes therein, in domestic animals in endemic areas in India have remained unattended. Therefore in present work, 7 Barbari goats, 2-3 month-old, were infected simultaneously with 2000 cercariae of Schistosoma incognitum and 2000 that of S.spindale, while one goat with 3000 cercariae ofS. incognitum and 1000 ofS. spindale by a newly developed polythene -pinna method. The fluke recovery was time dependent with highest recovery (44.92%) on 233 DPI and lowest (0.7%) on 387 DPI. S. spindale was the dominant species over S. incognitum with a species ratio of 1: 0.82 to 1: 0.2 and was capable to remove the latter completely on 605 DPI where only male S. spindale (505 number) persisted. The fluke recovery was also negatively corelated with clinical symptoms/death of the animaL Possibly, killing of flukes in larger number hence release of more schistosome antigen, antigen~antibody complexes within shorter period (125-133 DPI) have caused more sever watery diarrhoea and anaemia leading to their death; alternatively, survival of the animals where fluke death was less and delayed.