THE EFFECT OF FASTING ON ASCARIS-SUUM AND OESOPHAGOSTOMUM SPP IN GROWING PIGS

Experiments were conducted to study the possible influence of fasting on Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum spp. in growing pigs. Forty young crossbred pigs naturally infected with A. suum and Oesophagostomum spp . were used. In one experiment 10 pigs were fasted and offered water a d libitum for 6 days, in another experiment for 10 days. Subsequently, these pigs, together with 10 non-fasted control pigs per experiment w ere slaughtered, and worm numbers, worm location, sex, developmental s tage and female worm fecundity were determined. Pigs fasted for 10 but not for 6 days had decreased numbers of A. suum and Oesophagostomum s pp. at slaughter vs controls, and worms were found in more distal loca tions in the gastrointestinal tract. Fasting for both 6 and 10 days si gnificantly lowered the fecundity of both worm species. (C) 1997 Austr alian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.