Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vfjqv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T01:28:51.924Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Ascaris suum infections in pigs born and raised on contaminated paddocks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2006

H. MEJER  and
A. ROEPSTORFF
H. MEJER
Affiliation:
Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Dyrlægevej 100, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
A. ROEPSTORFF
Affiliation:
Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Dyrlægevej 100, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The transmission of Ascaris suum was studied in outdoor reared pigs. From May to June 2001, 6 farrowing paddocks were naturally contaminated with A. suum using experimentally infected seeder pigs. Early July, 1 sow farrowed on each paddock. One piglet per litter was slaughtered every second week starting at week 3 post-partum (p.p.) for registration of liver white spots and recovery of A. suum from the lungs and the small intestine. The last pigs were slaughtered at week 19 p.p. Faeces was examined for parasite eggs and blood was analysed for A. suum-specific antibodies. Weaning took place at week 7 p.p. by removing the sow. Paddock infection levels were estimated by regular examination of soil samples and in late June and late November using parasite naïve tracer pigs. Paddock contamination was high but eggs developed slowly resulting in a low initial transmission to the experimental pigs. By week 5 p.p. transmission had increased and the numbers of infective eggs in the soil increased during the study. The results indicate a continuous uptake of infective eggs, but visceral larval migration was reduced with time, probably due to the development of a pre-hepatic barrier. Nevertheless, a rather large population of adult worms remained in the pigs throughout the study, and it may primarily have been eggs ingested in the early infection phase that gave rise to the patent infections. It is suggested that neonatal exposure may result in increased persistence and size of adult worm burden and that the higher ‘life-time worm burden’ may be of significant economic importance.

Keywords

Ascaris suumpigstransmissionpre-hepatic barrierneonatal exposureoutdoor production
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 133 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 305 - 312
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alicata, J. E. ( 1935). Early developmental stages of nematodes occurring in swine. US Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 489, 1–96.Google Scholar
Andersen, S., Jørgensen, R. J., Nansen, P. and Nielsen, K. ( 1973). Experimental Ascaris suum infections in piglets. Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica B 81, 650–656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernardo, T. M., Dohoo, I. R. and Donald, A. ( 1990). Effect of ascariasis and respiratory diseases on growth rates in swine. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research 54, 278–284.Google Scholar
Boes, J., Coates, S., Medley, G. F., Varady, M., Eriksen, L., Roepstorff, A. and Nansen, P. ( 1999). Exposure of sows to Ascaris suum influences worm burden distributions in experimentally infected suckling piglets. Parasitology 119, 509–520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boes, J., Medley, G. F., Eriksen, L., Roepstorff, A. and Nansen, P. ( 1998). Distribution of Ascaris suum in experimentally and naturally infected pigs and comparison with Ascaris lumbricoides infections in humans. Parasitology 117, 589–596.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carstensen, L., Vaarst, M. and Roepstorff, A. ( 2002). Helminth infections in Danish organic swine herds. Veterinary Parasitology 106, 253–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coates, S. ( 2000). Modelling the population dynamics of Ascaris suum in pigs. Ph.D. thesis, Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Copenhagen, Denmark and the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Eriksen, L., Lind, P., Nansen, P., Roepstorff, A. and Urban, J. ( 1992 a). Resistance to Ascaris suum in parasite naïve and naturally exposed growers, finishers and sows. Veterinary Parasitology 41, 137–149.Google Scholar
Eriksen, L., Nansen, P., Roepstorff, A., Lind, P. and Nilsson, O. ( 1992 b). Response to repeated inoculations with Ascaris suum eggs in pigs during the fattening period. I. Studies on worm population kinetics. Parasitology Research 78, 241–246.Google Scholar
Geenen, P. L., Bresciani, J., Boes, J., Pedersen, A., Eriksen, L., Fagerholm, H.-P. and Nansen, P. ( 1999). The morphogenesis of Ascaris suum to the infective third-stage larvae within the egg. Journal of Parasitology 85, 616–622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hale, O. M., Stewart, T. B. and Marti, O. G. ( 1985). Influence of an experimental infection of Ascaris suum on performance of pigs. Journal of Animal Science 60, 220–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helwigh, A. B. and Nansen, P. ( 1999). Establishment of Ascaris suum in the pig: development of immunity following a single primary infection. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 40, 121–132.Google Scholar
Jolie, R., Bäckström, L., Pinckney, R. and Olson, L. ( 1998). Ascarid infection and respiratory health in feeder pigs raised on pasture or in confinement. Swine Health and Production 6, 115–120.Google Scholar
Jungersen, G., Eriksen, L., Roepstorff, A., Lind, P., Meeusen, E. N. T., Rasmussen, T. and Nansen, P. ( 1999). Experimental Ascaris suum infection in the pig: protective memory response after three immunizations and effect of intestinal adult worm population. Parasite Immunology 21, 619–630.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jungersen, G. ( 2002). Immunity and immune responses to Ascaris suum in pigs. In The Geohelminths: Ascaris, Trichuris and Hookworm ( ed. Holland, C. V. and Kennedy, M. W.), pp. 105–124. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Boston, Dordrecht, London.
Jørgensen, R. J., Nansen, P., Nielsen, K., Eriksen, L. and Andersen, S. ( 1975). Experimental Ascaris suum infection in the pig. Population kinetics following low and high levels of primary infection in piglets. Veterinary Parasitology 1, 151–157.Google Scholar
Kapel, C. M. O. and Gamble, H. R. ( 2000). Infectivity, persistence, and antibody response to domestic and sylvatic Trichinella spp. in experimentally infected pigs. International Journal for Parasitology 30, 215–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kelley, G. W. and Nayak, D. P. ( 1964). Acquired immunity to migrating larvae of Ascaris suum induced in pigs by repeated oral inoculations of infective eggs. Journal of Parasitology 50, 499–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kelley, G. W. and Nayak, D. P. ( 1965). Passive immunity to Ascaris suum transferred in colostrum from sows to their offspring. American Journal of Veterinary Research 26, 948–950.Google Scholar
Kraglund, H.-O. ( 1999). Survival, development and dispersal of the free-living stages of Ascaris suum, Oesophagostomum dentatum and Trichuris suis at the pasture. Ph.D. thesis, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Krasnonos, L. N. ( 1978). Prolonged survival of Ascaris lumbricoides L., 1758 ova in the soil in Samarkand. Meditsinskaya Parazitologicya i Parazitarnye Bolezni 47, 103–105.Google Scholar
Larsen, M. N. and Roepstorff, A. ( 1999). Seasonal variation in development and survival of Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis eggs on pastures. Parasitology 119, 209–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mejer, H. and Roepstorff, A. ( 2006). Oesophagostomum dentatum and Trichuris suis infections in pigs born and raised on contaminated paddocks. Parasitology 133, 295–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mejer, H., Wendt, S., Thomsen, L. E., Roepstorff, A. and Hindsbo, O. ( 2000). Nose-rings and transmission of helminth parasites in outdoor pigs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 41, 153–165.Google Scholar
Miquel, N., Roepstorff, A., Bailey, M. and Eriksen, L. ( 2005). Host immune reactions and worm kinetics during the expulsion of Ascaris suum in pigs. Parasite Immunology 27, 79–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Müller, G. ( 1953). Untersuchungen über die Lebendsdauer von Askarideneiern in Gartenerde. Zentrallblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene 159, 377–379.Google Scholar
Oksanen, A., Eriksen, L., Roepstorff, A., Ilsøe, B., Nansen, P. and Lind, P. ( 1990). Embryonation and infectivity of Ascaris suum eggs. A comparison of eggs collected from worm uteri with eggs isolated from pig faeces. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 31, 393–398.Google Scholar
Roepstorff, A. ( 2003). Ascaris suum in pigs: population biology and epidemiology. Doctorate thesis, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Roepstorff, A., Eriksen, L., Slotved, H.-C. and Nansen, P. ( 1997). Experimental Ascaris suum infection in the pig: worm population kinetics following single inoculations with three doses of eggs. Parasitology 115, 443–452.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roepstorff, A., Jørgensen, R. J., Nansen, P., Henriksen, S. Aa., Skovgaard Pedersen, J. and Andreasen, M. ( 1992). Parasitter hos økologiske svin (Parasites in organic swine). Project report, financed by the Danish Ministry of Agriculture. Landsudvalget for svin, Danske slagterier, Copenhagen.
Roepstorff, A. and Murrell, K. D. ( 1997). Transmission dynamics of helminth parasites of pigs on continuous pasture: Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis. International Journal for Parasitology 27, 563–572.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roepstorff, A. and Nansen, P. ( 1994). Epidemiology and control of helminth infections in pigs under intensive and non-intensive production systems. Veterinary Parasitology 54, 69–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roepstorff, A. and Nansen, P. ( 1998). The Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Control of Helminth Parasites of Swine. A FAO Handbook. FAO, Rome, Italy.
Ronéus, O. ( 1966). Studies on the aetiology and pathogenesis of white spots in the liver of pigs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 7 (Suppl. 16), 1–112.Google Scholar
Slotved, H.-C., Barnes, E. H., Eriksen, L., Roepstorff, A., Nansen, P. and Bjørn, H. ( 1997). Use of an agar-gel technique for large-scale application to recover Ascaris suum larvae from intestinal contents of pigs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 38, 207–212.Google Scholar
Stankiewicz, M. and Froe, D. L. ( 1995). Unabbreviated Ascaris suum immunizing infections of piglets lead to immunosuppression and increased numbers of intestinal parasites. Acta Parasitologica 40, 152–155.Google Scholar
Stankiewicz, M. and Jeska, E. L. ( 1990). Evaluation of pyrantel-tartrate abbreviated Ascaris suum infections for the development of resistance in young pigs against migrating larvae. International Journal for Parasitology 20, 77–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stankiewicz, M., Jonas, W. and Froe, D. L. ( 1992). Patent infections of Ascaris suum in pigs: effect of previous exposure to multiple, high doses of eggs and various treatment regimens. International Journal for Parasitology 22, 597–601.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steenhard, N. R. ( 2003). Concurrent infection with intestinal worms and bacteria in man and domestic animals – epidemiological studies in children in Guinea-Bissau and experimental model studies in pigs. Ph.D. thesis, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Stephenson, L. S., Pond, W. G., Nesheim, M. C., Krook, L. P. and Crompton, D. W. T. ( 1980). Ascaris suum: nutrient absorption, growth and intestinal pathology in young pigs experimentally infected with 15-day-old larvae. Experimental Parasitology 49, 15–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Urban, J. F., Alizadeh, H. and Romanowski, R. D. ( 1988). Ascaris suum: development of intestinal immunity to infective second-stage larvae in swine. Experimental Parasitology 66, 66–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar