Trichinella spiralis nudix hydrolase (TsNd) gene encoding a 46 kDa protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and the potential of recombinant TsNd protein (rTsNd) as an antigen for the serodiagnosis of trichinellosis was investigated by ELISA and compared with those of ELISA with T. spiralis muscle larval excretory–secretory (ES) antigens. The sensitivity of both ELISA was 100% (30/30), for the...

The intestinal changes brought about by rejection of Trichinella spiralis from mice were studied in relation to their effects on a concurrent infection with Hymenolepis microstoma, a cestode not normally rejected from mice. The rejection phase of T. spiralis was associated with a marked stunting of growth of H. microstoma given just before, during, or just after rejection of the nematode. The s...

The nurse cell-parasite complex of Trichinella spiralis is unlike anything else in Nature. It is derived from a normal portion of striated skeletal muscle cell and develops in a matter of 15 to 20 days after the larva invades that cell type. What are the molecular mechanisms at work that result in this unique relationship? Here, Dickson Despommier presents a hypothesis to account for its format...

ELISA can be used to measure produced antibodies or Trichinella spp. antigens in the samples. They are detected with antibodies linked to an enzyme that reacts with a substrate and generate a colour reaction. The optical density (OD) of the reaction is measured spectrophotometrically. ELISA assays can be done in several different procedures called "direct", "indirect", "sa ndwich", and "competi...

A reverse line blot (RLB) assay was developed to identify different Trichinella genotypes. The RLB assay accomplishes detection and specific identification of the different Trichinella genotypes and relies on hybridization of the amplified 5S ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer regions to specific, membrane-bound oligonucleotide probes. After one single amplification, we were able to detect and gen...

In order to study the epidemiology of trichinellosis with special emphasis on swine a detailed study was performed. The goals of the study were to define the prevalence of trichinellosis in swine and rats and to determine the etiological agents of the disease with special emphasis on sylvatic species, Trichinella britovi. Considering the obtained data it can be concluded that the risk of Trichi...

Seven species belonging to the Trichinella genus (five with encapsulated larvae and two with non-encapsulated larvae in host muscles) and three additional genotypes have been described to date: T. spiralis (genotype T1), a cosmopolitan species with a high infectivity to swine and rats; T. nativa (T2), etiological agent of sylvatic trichinellosis in arctic and subarctic areas of the Holarctic re...