Development of villus atrophy in the small intestine of sheep infected with Trichostrongylus rugatus

Pairs of sheep infected with 120 000 larvae of Trichostrongylus rugatus were killed at intervals from 2 to 56 days after infection (DAI). Worms were located in tunnels in the epithelium of villi or upper intestinal crypts at all stages of development. Villus atrophy developed progressively until 16 DAI, when surface microtopography, characterised by subtotal villus atrophy, stabilised. Most severe lesions were in the first 3 m of small intestine where the density of nematodes was highest. Discontinuities in the epithelium and effusion of inflammatory cells and tissue fluids into the lumen were rare. No effects of infection on body-weight gain, appetite or serum total protein and albumin were evident in the first 20 days of infection. However, it was concluded that T. rugatus fundamentally resembled T. colubriformis and T. vitrinus in the response it elicited in the intestine of sheep, and must be considered potentially pathogenic.