Experimental schistosomiasis in the Common Marmoset Callithrix jacchus

• Main Authors: Ana Luna de Oliveira, Elizabeth Malagueño, Adriana Maria da Silva Telles, Maria Helena Madruga, José Valfrido de Santana
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2004
• Subjects: Callithrix jacchus; Schistosomiasis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/dfc3c7b6a32f4a4eaf00f70160002cb5

In order to evaluate Callithrix jacchus as an animal model for mansoni schistosomiasis, a group of 10 male animals were once percutaneously exposed to 250 cercariae of the Schistosoma mansoni SLM (São Lourenço da Mata) strain. Animals were periodically bled for measuring serum level of enzymes and proteins and for blood cell counting. When comparing pre-infection to post-infection values, a significant increase was found for alkaline phosphatase at 15 to 120 days p.i., differential counts of eosinophil at 45 and 60 days, and total protein and global eosinophil counts at 120 days. No Schistosoma mansoni eggs were found in stools. Adult worms of small size were recovered from five animals. At day 120, the number of Schistosoma mansoni eggs/g of tissue was 0-289.7 (liver), 0-30.1 (large intestine) and 0-171.4 (small intestine). These findings lead us to classify Callithrix jacchus as a non-permissive host to the SLM strain of Schistosoma mansoni.