Sexual development of Taenia solium in hamsters from rodent-derived cysticerci

In order to determine whether Taenia solium can be maintained in the labora tory using rodents as definitive hosts, six nude rats, 20 immunosuppressed Mongolian gerbils and 20 immunosuppressed Syrian hamsters were each inocula ted through a stomach tube with three cysticerci recovered from SCID mice. No adult worms of T. solium were found in the intestinal tract of any of th ese 46 rodents. Ln addition, five immunosuppressed Syrian hamsters were fed with the same number of cysticerci enclosed in rodent muscles from SCID mi ce. Two of these hamsters were found to be infected 40 days post-infection, each harbouring a sexually developed worm in the intestinal tract. Althoug h no eggs were produced, prepatent infections may be possible if a longer t ime was allowed for worm development. Moreover, the maintenance of the life cycle of T. solium in the laboratory using the rodent model can be establi shed.