COMPARISON BETWEEN PATTERNS OF PINWORM INFECTION (ASPICULURIS-TETRAPTERA) IN WILD AND LABORATORY STRAINS OF MICE, MUS MUSCULUS

Sixteen laboratory and 7 wild-derived strains of mice were infected wi th the pinworm Aspiculuris tetraptera in order to compare their resist ance levels estimated by the intestinal parasite loads. It appears tha t (i) in 4 strains out of 23, females and males harbour different para site loads; (ii) wild and laboratory mice display a broad range of inf ection levels when compared independently; (iii) the laboratory strain s are more resistant than the wild ones. We suggest that (i) compared to sex, the strain (i.e. genetic) effect is the main parameter which d etermines the levels of infection; (ii) resistance was selected in lab oratory strains during their breeding because of the parasite pressure present in captivity. (C) 1997 Australian Society for Parasitology. P ublished by Elsevier Science Ltd.