Trichinella spiralis: Antifecundity and antinewborn larvae immunity in swine

Abstract

The development of antifecundity and antinewborn larvae immunity in swine infected with Trichinella spiralis was investigated. In primary infections, adult female worm fecundity dropped sharply after 3 weeks, although adults could be recovered from the small intestine for at least 7 weeks after infection. In challenge infections of pigs infected previously, adult female worm fecundity was depressed up to 51% and the adults were expelled within 3 weeks. Since immune pigs are almost completely resistant to the secondary establishment of muscle larvae, this suggested the existence of immune effector mechanisms also acting on the newborn larvae. This was supported by observations, using an indirect fluorescent antibody assay, that pig antibody bound to the surface of the newborn larvae. Passive transfer of immune pig serum resulted in a large reduction in muscle larvae burden in both infected pig and rat recipients. Adult female worm fecundity in such immune serum recipients was reduced only by 20% and worm survival in the intestine was unaffected. These results indicate that immunity to the newborn larvae, in addition to antifecundity effects, are responsible for the high levels of acquired resistance to T. spiralis in swine.