The Effect of Culture Temperature and Age on the Infectivity of the Larvae of Trichostrongylus axei and T. colubriformis in Rabbits and Guinea Pigs

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Abstract
Infectivity of Trichostrongylus axei in rabbits was significantly higher when the larvae were cultured at 10 C for 29 days (33.5%) than at 25 C for 9 days (17.5%) or 32 C for 9 days (7.6%). However, significantly more T. colubriformis worms were recovered from rabbits infected with larvae cultured at 25 C (40.1%) than from rabbits infected with larvae cultured at 10 C (16.1%) or 32 C (31.0%). tofectivtty of T. colubriformis in guinea pigs was 15.6, 53.3, and 53.2% for the 3 culture temperatures, respectively. By spacing the starting dates of the cultures, larvae in each case were 3rd stage for 1 day when inoculated into rabbits. The infectivity of T. colubriformis in guinea pigs was 12.0 37.7, and 22.9% for larvae cuTHired at 10, 25, and 32 C and administered when 1, 21, and 21 days old, respectively. Relatively higher temperatures reduced the infective potential of T. axei, but increased that of T. colubriformis. Infectivity was reduced when T. colubriformis larvae were maintained for 21 days at 25 and 32 C. In all experiments, a significantly larger number of female T. axei and T. colubriformis were recovered from rabbits and guinea pigs. The female rabbits appeared to be more susceptible to T. axei than the males, but the latter were more susceptible than the females to T. colubriformis. No significant difference was observed in the suiP ceptlbility of either sex of guinea pigB to T. colubriformis.