Peroral infection of pigs with Schistosoma japonicum cercariae

Infections with the zoonotic trematode, Schistosoma japonicum in pigs serves as a valuable model for studying natural definitive host/parasite relationships and a model for human schistosomosis japonica. In the present study the efficiency of a peroral infection route was compared with that of an intramuscular route of infection. Eleven specific pathogen-free Danish Landrace/Yorkshire/ Duroc crossbred male and female pigs were divided into two groups of five and six pigs, respectively. Each pig was given 1000 cercariae, either placed in droplets on the mucosa in the buccal cavity, or as medium-suspended cercariae injected into musculus biceps femoris of one of the hindlegs. Ten weeks post infection, all pigs were killed with pentobarbital and the venous system perfused. Worm burdens and liver egg counts were determined and worm fecundity was calculated. S. japonicum infections were established in all individuals in both groups of pigs. When comparing the two groups, the peroral group had significantly higher number of immature worms, whereas the intramuscularly infected group had significantly more worm nodules. However, no difference was seen in total number of worms. No statistical significant differences were found in neither tissue egg counts nor worm fecundity when comparing the two groups. The results from the present study showed a delay in maturation of infection following a peroral infection as compared with an intramuscular infection, but comparability was seen between overall worm establishment and egg production.