Changes on Schistosoma mansoni (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) worm load in Nectomys squamipes (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) concurrently infected with Echinostoma paraensei (Digenea: Echinostomatidae)

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
• Main Authors: Arnaldo Maldonado Júnior, Renata Coura, Juberlan da Silva Garcia, Reinalda Marisa Lanfredi, Luis Rey
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2001
• Subjects: Nectomys squamipes; Schistosoma mansoni; Echinostoma paraensei; concurrent infection; heterologous interaction; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Microbiology; QR1-502; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0074-02762001000900030; https://doaj.org/article/4aafb7347a1f4559b29d33fcdb515edb

The water rat, Nectomys squamipes, closely involved in schistosomiasis transmission in Brazil, has been found naturally infected simultaneously by Schistosoma mansoni and Echinostoma paraensei. Laboratory experiments were conducted to verify parasitic interaction in concurrent infection. It was replicated four times with a total of 42 water rats and essayed two times with 90 mice pre-infected with E. paraensei. Rodents were divided into three groups in each replication. A wild strain recently isolated from Sumidouro, RJ, and a laboratory strain of S. mansoni from Belo Horizonte (BH) was used. Rats infected with E. paraensei were challenged 4 weeks later with S. mansoni and mice 2 or 6 weeks after the infection with S. mansoni. Necropsy took place 8 weeks following S. mansoni infection. The N. squamipes treatment groups challenged with S. mansoni RJ strain showed a significant decrease (80 and 65%) in the S. mansoni parasite load when compared with their respective control groups. There was a significant change or no change in the hosts challenged with the BH strain. The persistence time of E. paraensei within host was extended in relation to control groups, with a consequent enhancement of the number of recovered worm. An E. paraensei strain-specific influence on S. mansoni parasitism is reported. This paper presents some experimental data about this interaction in N. squamipes and Mus musculus.