Individual variation and effect of priming dose level on establishment, growth and fecundity of Cooperia oncophora in re-infected calves

• Published in: Parasitology 2004-01, Vol.128 (1), p.99-109
• Main Authors: KANOBANA, K., PLOEGER, H. W., EYSKER, M., VERVELDE, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Helminth - blood; Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; calves; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - immunology; Cattle Diseases - parasitology; Cooperia; Cooperia oncophora; Disease Susceptibility; dose dependency; dose response; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; fecal egg count; Feces - parasitology; Fecundity; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gastrointestinal nematodes; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; GI nematode; growth and development; Immune response; immunity; infection; infection dose; Infectious diseases; Invertebrates; Larvae; length; Male; mortality; nematode infections; nematode larvae; Parasite Egg Count - veterinary; Parasitology; regulation; reinfection; responder types; secondary infection; sex ratio; Small intestine; Technological change; Trichostrongyloidea - immunology; Trichostrongyloidiasis - immunology; Trichostrongyloidiasis - parasitology; Trichostrongyloidiasis - veterinary; worm burden; worm length
• ISSN: 0031-1820; 1469-8161
• DOI: 10.1017/S0031182003004268

We investigated the effect of bovine anamnestic immunity on a range of parasitological variables. To this end, calves were primed with a single oral dose of 30 000 or 100 000 infective larvae (L3) of Cooperia oncophora, drenched with anthelmintic, maintained worm free in the following 2·5 months and subsequently re-infected with 100 000 L3. Parasitological profiles of low, intermediate, and high responders were compared. The reduction in establishment of the worms was shown by a lower worm burden and increased percentage of fourth-stage (L4) larvae. Worm length and fecundity were similarly reduced by both priming doses but, the speed by which the effect occurred differed between animals primed with 30 000 or 100 000 L3. The difference in establishment between the responder types demonstrates that the ability of intermediate responders to mount a more effective and faster immune response compared to low responders is sustained after secondary infection.