On the Prenatal Infection of Dogs with Ascarids, Toxocam Canis(Veterinary Science)
Year: 1954
Type: article
Abstract: Forty seven puppies born from 14 dams during Dec. 17, 1952 and Dec. 28, 1953 were examined for the occurrence of prenatal infection of Toxocara canis. Out of all 47 puppies examined 44 puppies harbored Toxocara specimens to be considered to result from prenatal infection, thus indicating the occurrence of 93.6%. Of all 14 dams 13 animals gave birth to the puppies in which prenatal infection of T. canis were observed. At all events, it will be concluded that prenatal infection of T. canis in dogs occurs very often in Japan. The number of ascarids recovered from every puppy varied from 1 to 60. No marked differences were found in the number of them among puppies in the same litters. The seasonal variation in the occurrence of the prenatal infection of dogs with T. canis appeared not to be observed. Migrating larvae were recovered only from the liver of both the still-born puppies and the ones examined immediately after birth, but soon later i.e., within about 3 hours after birth they began to migrate to the lungs, and all of them had not been found already in the liver but in the lungs only by 10 hours after birth. They stayed here from that time until 2.5-5 days after birth, and then their migration to the alimentary canal took place. Later than 6 days they were all found in the stomach and small intestine. The seasonal variation in the migration speed of the larvae appeared not to be observed. The measurement of the length of the specimens was shown in details. Although the growth rate of the worms recovered from the same litters was regular according as the growth of every puppy, that among different litters was cosiderably irregular. The factors affecting this fact were alluded. Sexuality was clearly differentiated in the specimens obtained from puppies examined 7 days after birth, although some specimens from younger puppies sometimes could be differentiated. The first passage of eggs of T. canis in prenatal infection of puppies in experimental kennels started in the ages of 21-23 days. The author wishes to express his keen gratitude to H. Takaoka for his kind help in the execution of this investigation.
Author: R. Noda
Language: English
Subfield: Parasitology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2199912246