Transmission of Trichomonas vaginalis in the Eye of Animals

Abstract

The anterior chamber of the eye of rabbits was infected with a pure culture of T. vaginalis. The infected aqueous humor was used to initiate a continuous series of eye to eye passages for 6 generations (later extended to 14). The aqueous was considered positive only when motile flagellates were visible. Injections were made at 2-7 day intervals, the estimated amount of infected aqueous transferred was between 0.01 and 0.03 cc so that by the 6th passage the original inoculum had been diluted over 1,000,000 times. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteriologic tests were carried out routinely to assure that a pure culture of the parasite had been transmitted. The evidence indicates that true growth rather than simple survival had occurred in these experiments.