Host age influence on the intensity of experimental Trichuris suis infection in pigs

Abstract

The impact of age-related resistance on the regulation of population dynamics of adult Trichuris suis was investigated in an experimental pig model. Helminth-naïve pigs varying in age from five weeks to four years were infected with T. suis to determine susceptibility to infection. Sows had a significantly lower establishment of adult T. suis worms compared with weaner pigs. Adult worm populations were highly overdispersed in both sows and grower pigs contrasted by a more even distribution among weaner pigs. Sows had significantly lower worm fecundities compared to weaner and grower pigs; T. suis from grower pigs, in turn, had reduced fecundity compared to worms in weaner pigs. In conclusion, we provide the first controlled experimental evidence that age-related resistance to T. suis occurs in pigs.