Medycyna Wet. 64 (6), 815-817, 2008
Demiaszkiewicz A. W., Kuligowska I., Lachowicz J., Osińska B.
Experimental infection of Vietnam pigs with invasive Elaphostrongylus cervi larvae
To examine the susceptibility of pigs for elaphostrongylosis, six 3.5-month-old Vietnam pigs were infected with doses of from 500 to 10000 invasive larvae of E. cervi. In all infected pigs any clinical symptoms of infection were observed. After one month post infection a necropsy of the pig infected with 5000 larvae was conducted. On the surface of the liver itself were found 6 white nodules from 2 to 6 mm in diameter. Third stage larvae of E. cervi were found in enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Most of them were dead, but after isolation some were still alive. The rest of the pigs infected with doses of 3000, 2000, 1000, 500 and 10000 larvae, were necropsied successively after 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months post infection. Any pathological changes were observed in their organs. In the pig necropsied 2 months post infection, dead E. cervi larvae or their fragments were found in mesenteric lymph nodes, and in the rest of the pigs, in this same localization, only fragments of dead larvae or detritus after their resorption were found. Histopathological examinations confirmed the presence of parasitic nodules in lymph nodes and in livers in which cross-sections of larvae of this parasite have been seen. Results of the presented investigations indicate that pigs are not susceptible to infection of E. cervi larvae. One can suppose that a similar low susceptibility to the discussed parasitosis occur in other omnivorous animals and also in men.
Keywords: Elaphostrongylus cervi, Vietnam pigs, experimental infection