Experimental studies of Korea Taenia (Cheju strain) infection in domestic animals

Abstract

In the present study, one DYL pig (five-day old), four L-SEM pigs (37-day old), three SEM pigs (44-day old), one Holstein calf (eight-day old) and two Sannean goats (five-day old) were each fed 1000, 30 000, or 380 000 eggs of the Korea Taenia (Cheju strain) and were sacrificed 16–105 days after inoculation. All DYL, L-SEM, and SEM pigs and the Holstein calf were susceptible to Korea Taenia, and one of the two Sannean goats became infected. The cysticerci recovery rates for L-SEM, SEM and DYL pigs, Holstein calf, and Sannean goat were 5·6, 1·7, 0·06, 0·03 and 0·02% respectively. Cysticerci were recovered only from the livers of the infected animals, and more cysticerci were found in the parenchyma (51%) than on the surface of the liver (49%). Immature cysticerci were first observed on day 16 after infection, mature ones on day 29, and degenerated or calcified cysticerci on day 30. Inoculation of a huge number (380 000) of Korea Taenia eggs lead to early degeneration or calcification of the cysticerci. The length, the width, and the diameters of protoscolex, rostellum, and sucker of the cysticerci were largely proportional to the period of inoculation. The measurements and patterns of the hooklets indicate that Korea Taenia is very similar to Taiwan Taenia but is different from T. saginata and T. solium. The results of the present study provide evidence that Korea Taenia and Taiwan Taenia may be of the same species.