A method to obtain axenic Angiostrongylus vasorum first-stage larvae from dog feces

Parasitol Res. 2003 Jan;89(2):89-93. doi: 10.1007/s00436-002-0719-z. Epub 2002 Sep 4.

Abstract

An improved method to obtain a large number of axenic larvae of Angiostrongylus vasorum from fecal samples was developed in the present study. The procedure here in reported consisted of obtaining larvae using a modified Baermann technique, followed by an additional filtration step. This isolation technique recovered almost 90% of the living larvae in a clean preparation. Isolated larvae were submitted to decontamination treatments with either sodium hypochlorite or antibiotic cocktail solutions. The axenic status, as confirmed by oral inoculation of decontaminated larvae into germ-free mice, was only achieved using larvae treated with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for 10 min. The isolation and decontamination treatment did not affect larval viability. Treated larvae remained viable and infective to the invertebrate host.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiostrongylus / drug effects
  • Angiostrongylus / growth & development
  • Angiostrongylus / isolation & purification*
  • Animals
  • Dog Diseases / parasitology*
  • Dogs
  • Feces / parasitology*
  • Female
  • Filtration*
  • Germ-Free Life*
  • Larva
  • Mice
  • Sodium Hypochlorite / pharmacology

Substances

  • Sodium Hypochlorite