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Survival of Infective Tapeworm Larvae Following Exposure of the Intermediate Host to DDT1
Research Notes SURVIVAL O F I N F E C T I V E T A P E W O R M L A R V A E F O L L O W I N G E X P O S U R E OF T H E I N T E R M E D I A T E HOST TO D D T 1 A. C. T O D D , M .
F . H A N S E N , G. W.
K E L L E Y , Z. N .
W Y A N T AND L. S. O L S E N
Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky (Received for publication September 3,1949)
the cysticercoids may have been related either to the death of the intermediate host or to the action of DDT, the experiment was repeated. Table 1 details infectivity of cysticer-
TABLE 1.—Record of adult tapeworms recovered
Time
Chick
DDT exposed beetles
Dead control beetles
Live control beetles Number tapeworms recovered
Time
Number tapeworms recovered
Chick
Time
Chick
Number tapeworms recovered
1290
1
1 hour
1267
4
1 hour
1346
20
2
"
794
19
2
"
1320
0
2
"
1313
11
3
"
791
0
3
"
1335
1
3 «
770
3
4
"
A13346
0
4
"
A1505O
19
4 «
A15077
19
5
"
1259
1
5
1330
13
5
"
1304
0
6 «
A1S438
*
6
"
A15048
9
6
"
A15051
0
1 hour
"
7
"
1266
1
7
"
1296
15
7
"
1299
8
8
«
A15084
15
8
«
A15068
14
8
"
.A15200
0
9
•
1342
12
9
"
1279
12
9
"
1343
1
23 «
A15096
4
23 «
A15090
1
23
"
A15043
11
30
"
1264
16
30
"
1287
0
30
"
1270
3
33
"
A15044
*
33
•
A15015
0
33
"
A15061
0
48
"
1254
0
48
"
1317
1
—
—
-
Avg. 6.3
Avg. 7.3
Avg. 5.8
* Chick died during course of experiment.
of continuous exposure of the intermediate host to a DDT sprayed surface. Moreover, numbers of adult tapeworms recovered from chickens fed DDT-exposed beetles were fewer than the numbers recovered from chickens fed control beetles. Because the apparent reduced viability of 1 The investigation reported in this paper is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published by permission of the Director.
coids of the chicken tapeworm Raillietina cesticillus in 3 groups of an intermediate host, Tribolium confusum, the confused flour beetle. The first group of infected beetles were normal active controls; the second group consisted of infected beetles killed individually when their heads were crushed; the third group contained infected beetles continuously exposed to a surface sprayed with a 25 percent DDT solution. At the time intervals listed in
156
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at UCSF Library on April 24, 2015
A previous note (Todd and Hansen, 1949) reported cysticercoids of Raillietina cesticillus inside an intermediate host, Tribolium confusum, a flour beetle, were capable of infecting chickens after 7 hours
157
RESEARCH NOTES
Table 1, 2 infected beetles were fed to each of the 8-week chicks exposed. Three weeks after exposure of the chicks the birds were killed and examined for adult tapeworms. Tapeworms recovered indicated certain variation in numbers of cysticercoids carried by the beetles. It was found that at least one cysticercoid had remained viable after 48 hours of continuous exposure of its intermediate host to 25 percent DDT. The numbers of tape-
worms in the 3 groups of birds again indicated an apparent reduction in viability of cysticercoids inside intermediate hosts exposed to DDT. The collection data may also indicate that rapid mortality of cysticercoids began approximately 24 hours after death of the intermediate hosts. REFERENCES Todd, A. C , and M. F. Hansen, 1949. DDT and infective tapeworm larvae. Poultry Sci. 28: 626-627.
DANIEL S. JAQTJETTE*
Zoological Division, U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry, Agricultural Research Administration, Beltsville, Maryland (Received for publication October 1, 1949)
The protozoan parasite, Trichomonas gallinae (Rivolta, 1878) Stabler, 1938, has been isolated from the liver of pigeons by a number of workers. The manner in which it reaches this organ, however, has not been adequately explained. Infection of the upper digestive tract is established by ingestion of the parasite by susceptible birds. It is possible, therefore, that the organisms might migrate to the duodenum, and thence through the bile ducts to the liver. This appears unlikely, however, in view of Cauthen's (1936) findings, that T. gallinae was found in the alimentary tract posterior to the proventriculus only in exceptional cases. The experiment reported here was carried out to determine whether T. gallinae reaches the liver via the digestive tract. Eighteen White King pigeons, free of T. gallinae, from 1§ to 12 months of age were divided into two groups. An esophagotomy was performed upon the pre* Resigned December 19, 1947.
ingluvial portion of the esophagus of each Of the 12 tests bird to prevent passage of material from mouth to crop. The remaining 6 birds served as controls. A particularly virulent strain, Strain 1 Westtown, (Stabler, 1948) of T. gallinae obtained from Dr. Robert M. Stabler was used for all inoculations. With a glass pipette, a few drops of a concentrated suspension of the parasite were deposited in the oral cavity of each of the 18 birds. For obvious reasons, no feed or water was given the test birds. The controls, however, were fed and watered as usual. Seven days after inoculation, all of the survivors were killed. These birds, as well as those which died during the course of the experiment, were examined for the presence of liver lesions. Ten of the 18 birds showed hepatic lesions characteristic of trichomoniasis. Seven of these were test birds and 3 were controls. Only those birds exhibiting hepatic lesions were submitted to further study. Smears prepared from the pharyngeal
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at UCSF Library on April 24, 2015
HEPATIC TRICHOMONIASIS IN ESOPHAGOTOMIZED PIGEONS
F . H A N S E N , G. W.
K E L L E Y , Z. N .
W Y A N T AND L. S. O L S E N
Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky (Received for publication September 3,1949)
the cysticercoids may have been related either to the death of the intermediate host or to the action of DDT, the experiment was repeated. Table 1 details infectivity of cysticer-
TABLE 1.—Record of adult tapeworms recovered
Time
Chick
DDT exposed beetles
Dead control beetles
Live control beetles Number tapeworms recovered
Time
Number tapeworms recovered
Chick
Time
Chick
Number tapeworms recovered
1290
1
1 hour
1267
4
1 hour
1346
20
2
"
794
19
2
"
1320
0
2
"
1313
11
3
"
791
0
3
"
1335
1
3 «
770
3
4
"
A13346
0
4
"
A1505O
19
4 «
A15077
19
5
"
1259
1
5
1330
13
5
"
1304
0
6 «
A1S438
*
6
"
A15048
9
6
"
A15051
0
1 hour
"
7
"
1266
1
7
"
1296
15
7
"
1299
8
8
«
A15084
15
8
«
A15068
14
8
"
.A15200
0
9
•
1342
12
9
"
1279
12
9
"
1343
1
23 «
A15096
4
23 «
A15090
1
23
"
A15043
11
30
"
1264
16
30
"
1287
0
30
"
1270
3
33
"
A15044
*
33
•
A15015
0
33
"
A15061
0
48
"
1254
0
48
"
1317
1
—
—
-
Avg. 6.3
Avg. 7.3
Avg. 5.8
* Chick died during course of experiment.
of continuous exposure of the intermediate host to a DDT sprayed surface. Moreover, numbers of adult tapeworms recovered from chickens fed DDT-exposed beetles were fewer than the numbers recovered from chickens fed control beetles. Because the apparent reduced viability of 1 The investigation reported in this paper is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published by permission of the Director.
coids of the chicken tapeworm Raillietina cesticillus in 3 groups of an intermediate host, Tribolium confusum, the confused flour beetle. The first group of infected beetles were normal active controls; the second group consisted of infected beetles killed individually when their heads were crushed; the third group contained infected beetles continuously exposed to a surface sprayed with a 25 percent DDT solution. At the time intervals listed in
156
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at UCSF Library on April 24, 2015
A previous note (Todd and Hansen, 1949) reported cysticercoids of Raillietina cesticillus inside an intermediate host, Tribolium confusum, a flour beetle, were capable of infecting chickens after 7 hours
157
RESEARCH NOTES
Table 1, 2 infected beetles were fed to each of the 8-week chicks exposed. Three weeks after exposure of the chicks the birds were killed and examined for adult tapeworms. Tapeworms recovered indicated certain variation in numbers of cysticercoids carried by the beetles. It was found that at least one cysticercoid had remained viable after 48 hours of continuous exposure of its intermediate host to 25 percent DDT. The numbers of tape-
worms in the 3 groups of birds again indicated an apparent reduction in viability of cysticercoids inside intermediate hosts exposed to DDT. The collection data may also indicate that rapid mortality of cysticercoids began approximately 24 hours after death of the intermediate hosts. REFERENCES Todd, A. C , and M. F. Hansen, 1949. DDT and infective tapeworm larvae. Poultry Sci. 28: 626-627.
DANIEL S. JAQTJETTE*
Zoological Division, U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry, Agricultural Research Administration, Beltsville, Maryland (Received for publication October 1, 1949)
The protozoan parasite, Trichomonas gallinae (Rivolta, 1878) Stabler, 1938, has been isolated from the liver of pigeons by a number of workers. The manner in which it reaches this organ, however, has not been adequately explained. Infection of the upper digestive tract is established by ingestion of the parasite by susceptible birds. It is possible, therefore, that the organisms might migrate to the duodenum, and thence through the bile ducts to the liver. This appears unlikely, however, in view of Cauthen's (1936) findings, that T. gallinae was found in the alimentary tract posterior to the proventriculus only in exceptional cases. The experiment reported here was carried out to determine whether T. gallinae reaches the liver via the digestive tract. Eighteen White King pigeons, free of T. gallinae, from 1§ to 12 months of age were divided into two groups. An esophagotomy was performed upon the pre* Resigned December 19, 1947.
ingluvial portion of the esophagus of each Of the 12 tests bird to prevent passage of material from mouth to crop. The remaining 6 birds served as controls. A particularly virulent strain, Strain 1 Westtown, (Stabler, 1948) of T. gallinae obtained from Dr. Robert M. Stabler was used for all inoculations. With a glass pipette, a few drops of a concentrated suspension of the parasite were deposited in the oral cavity of each of the 18 birds. For obvious reasons, no feed or water was given the test birds. The controls, however, were fed and watered as usual. Seven days after inoculation, all of the survivors were killed. These birds, as well as those which died during the course of the experiment, were examined for the presence of liver lesions. Ten of the 18 birds showed hepatic lesions characteristic of trichomoniasis. Seven of these were test birds and 3 were controls. Only those birds exhibiting hepatic lesions were submitted to further study. Smears prepared from the pharyngeal
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at UCSF Library on April 24, 2015
HEPATIC TRICHOMONIASIS IN ESOPHAGOTOMIZED PIGEONS