Suppression ofTaenia crassicepsduring concurrent infections withMesocestoides cortiin mice

Abstract

Parasite burden (by volume) was measured in female mice of three strains given single or concurrent infections of Mesocestoides corti and Taenia crassiceps. Significant suppression of T. crassiceps volume was observed over a range of M. corti inocula and occurred irrespective of whether M. corti was introduced before or after infection with T. crassiceps. Suppression of T. crassiceps volume was greatest with larger inocula of M. corti and with increased duration of M. corti infection. No significant difference was found in the intraperitoneal volume of M. corti from mice given single or simultaneous concurrent infections of M. corti and T. crassiceps. When M. corti were inoculated into mice with an established infection of T. crassiceps a significantly smaller volume of M. corti was retrieved at post-mortem from the peritoneal cavities of these mice, than from mice given just M. corti.

Parasite Communities: Patterns and Processes

“…Another form of interference competition is unique to parasites: one species can induce cross-immunity by the host to a second species' concurrent or subsequent infection (Damian, 1964;Bruna and Xenia, 1976;Moqbel and Wakelin, 1979;Gordon and Whitfield, 1984;Holland, 1984;Alghali and Grencis, 1986;Joysey, 1986; reviews by Kazacos, 1975;. Interactions mediated by immune responses have great variety.…”