Relation of Water Velocity to Schistosoma Mansoni Infection in Mice

Abstract

Summary Twelve laboratory and 3 field experiments were done to observe the effect of water velocity on the establishment of Schistosoma mansoni infections in mice. Ninety mice were exposed to water containing from 0.35 to 95.4 cercariae per liter with velocities ranging from 2.7 to 50 cm per second. Infections developed in the mice at every velocity studied. From these preliminary experiments it would appear that, when the cercarial density of the water is held constant, mice exposed to fast water acquired more worms than those exposed to slow water. The percentage recovery of approaching cercariae as adult worms in mice increased with an increase in the water velocity.