Detecção de larvas de toxocara canis em leite de coelhas infectadas experimentalmente

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of transmammary transmission of Toxocara canis larvae in rabbits. Nulipars white New Zealand female rabbits were distributed in two groups. Twelve animals were inoculated by oral route with 1.000 T. canis embryonated eggs, whereas five animals were uninfected (control group). One month following infection, the females were mated. Manual sample collections of 500µL milk were performed on +7, +15 and +21 days of lactation. ELISA test was run in order to detect serum antibodies (IgG) from blood samples collected from the nurses on the pre-infection (0) and post-infection (7, 14, 21 and 28) period as well as on the day following the wean. The recovery of larvae in milk was performed by the ether-formalin technique. The material was centrifuged at 2.000 rpm for 10 min (2.000 rpm; 697g) and the sediment was microscopically analyzed (10X). The presence of larvae was observed in milk samples released by 5 out of the 12 (41.7%) infected rabbits. Total number of recovered larvae was 20, ranging from 1 to 4 larvae by lactation period. Larva were observed on days +14 (9 larvae; 45%) and +21day (11 larvae; 55%). No significant difference by comparing the counting (p=0.7386). In conclusion, the presence of larvae in milk rabbit samples pointed out the possibility of galactogenic transmission of T. canis in paratenic hosts.