Experimental Study on Embryonation and Establishment of Toxocara canis Patent Infection in Pups

摘要

The establishment of Toxocara canis infection in the definitive host follows a complicated pathway confronting migration, host's age and immune status. Thus, a study was conducted to observe the establishment of patent Toxocara canis infection in pups. Three (1- month- old) pups (non- descript) were used in the experiment. The pups were dewormed by using albendazole @ 5 mg/ kg body weight, orally for 3 consecutive days. These pups were infected with 500 infective eggs of Toxocara canis. Embryonationof the eggs of Toxocara canis was carried out at three different controlled temperatures i.e. 25°C ± 1°C, 27°C ± 1°C and 29°C ± 1°C, in the laboratory and took 11, 8 and 9 days, respectively to reach infective larvated eggs stage. Faeces of thedonor pups revealed prepatent period of 34 - 36 days. Thus, 27°C ± 1°C was observed as the optimum temperature for environmental development of T. canis eggs, which may pose a threat to patent infections in pups and zoonotic infection in human beings.