Studies on Trichostrongylus axei (Cobbold, 1879). II. Some Quantitative Aspects of Experimental Infections in Rabbits

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Abstract
Subjecting the data from 34 Flemish rabbits 6-12 weeks old, to 3 methods of LD50-analysis, values of 13,000, 11,800, and 13,000 were obtained. In initial infections worm recovery ranged from 6% of 16,000 to 31% of 4000 larvae administered, and averaged 18.6. In reinfections the worm recovery ranged from 0.5% of 173,000 to 15.5% of 44,700 larvae administered, and averaged 4.6%. In initial infections of 6- and 12-week-old rabbits the interval between infection and death at the various larval doses ranged from 31 to 72 days, with an average of 51.2 days. An average prepatent period of 22.7 days and a male/female ratio of 0.82 were observed. Over 90% of the adult worms were intimately associated with the gastric mucosa; following death of the host a migration or mechanical translocation occurred to the stomach contents, which in some cases continued to the small intestine. The female worms averaged 20.4 eggs/24 hours/female. From the reinfection studies it was concluded that: (1) superimposed infections were possible; (2) egg counts were increased; (3) greater worm burdens than in initial infections were established; (4) the male/female ratio and eggs/24 hours/female averaged 0.66 and 29.9, respectively. The pathological effects in initial infections and reinfections are discussed.