Comparative studies of experimental oral inoculation of pigs with Ascaris suum eggs or third stage larvae

This experimental study was designed to compare the acquired resistance in pigs to Ascaris suum eggs following 4-weekly oral immunizations with either 200 A. suum infective eggs or 50 A. suum third stage larvae (L3). The two immunized groups (n = 7) together with an unimmunized control group (n = 7) of pigs were challenged orally with 50 infective A. suum eggs per kilogram bodyweight on day 19 after the last immunization. Seven days post-challenge the group immunized with eggs showed signs of resistance as evidenced by reduced lung larval counts compared with the challenge control group. Such significant resistance was not observed in the L3-immunized group. However, a markedly increased inflammatory liver reaction and white spot formation was demonstrated in the L3-immunized pigs after challenge compared with both control animals and egg-immunized pigs. On the day of challenge only the egg-immunized pigs mounted an anti-Ascaris antibody response both in serum and in lung lavage fluid. Ascaris-antigen induced increased histamine release from peripheral leucocytes following both immunization and challenge could only be demonstrated in the egg-immunized pigs. On day 7 post-challenge local IgA-anti-Ascaris antibodies were further demonstrated in bile of the egg-immunized group and in the small intestine of both immunized groups. In conclusion, oral A. suum egg immunization of pigs induced a significant reduction in lung larval counts upon challenge. In contrast, oral L3 immunization seemed to prime the pigs as observed by the presence of stunted lung larval growth and increased liver reaction post-challenge with A. suum eggs.