摘要
The aim of the present study was to confirm observations on the vertical transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in the rabbit. S. japonicum- infected pregnant rabbits were used in this study. Perfusion of mother rabbits was done 9weeks after infection in order to obtain worm bur- dens in relation to their initial cercarial dose.Anti- schistosoma specific Ig M antibodies in serum samples collected from rabbit kittens were detected by EL ISA.Our results showed that gestation period lasted the norm al2 9- 31days.All the exposed mother rabbits became infected with S. japonicum.Positive Ig M antibody OD values were detected in12 out of the6 0 kittens exam ined (2 0 .0 % ) . In group C and A,4 0 .0 % and 17.9% of the kitten were congenitally infected,re- spectively. 18.1% of the kittens born to mothers infected with a single dose of 2 0 0 cercariae per rabbit were positives;this is not significantly different from that obtained for the 6 0 0 dose group (2 2 .2 % ) .Three randomly selected Ig M+ kittens harbored between one and two adult worm s. The livers of these kittens displayed granulomatous lesions. It is concluded that congenital S. japonicum infection does occur in the rabbit and is affected by the m other stage of pregnancy and to a lesser extent by its infection load.
The aim of the present study was to confirm observations on the vertical transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in the rabbit. S. japonicum- infected pregnant rabbits were used in this study. Perfusion of mother rabbits was done 9weeks after infection in order to obtain worm bur- dens in relation to their initial cercarial dose.Anti- schistosoma specific Ig M antibodies in serum samples collected from rabbit kittens were detected by EL ISA.Our results showed that gestation period lasted the norm al2 9- 31days.All the exposed mother rabbits became infected with S. japonicum.Positive Ig M antibody OD values were detected in12 out of the6 0 kittens exam ined (2 0 .0 % ) . In group C and A,4 0 .0 % and 17.9% of the kitten were congenitally infected,re- spectively. 18.1% of the kittens born to mothers infected with a single dose of 2 0 0 cercariae per rabbit were positives;this is not significantly different from that obtained for the 6 0 0 dose group (2 2 .2 % ) .Three randomly selected Ig M+ kittens harbored between one and two adult worm s. The livers of these kittens displayed granulomatous lesions. It is concluded that congenital S. japonicum infection does occur in the rabbit and is affected by the m other stage of pregnancy and to a lesser extent by its infection load.
