Strongyloides stercoralis: the first rodent model for uncomplicated and hyperinfective strongyloidiasis, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Abstract

Strongyloidiasis is the most common endemic helminthiasis in several of the world's industrialized nations, yet relatively little is known about its basic biology and immunobiology because a practical rodent model for the investigation of this clinically important parasitism is lacking. This study reports such a model for use in the investigation of Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Normal male gerbils infected subcutaneously with 1000 infective filariform larvae harbored moderate numbers (83.6 +/- 27.6) of adult worms at 35 days after infection, and a low-grade infection persisted for at least 131 days mimicking the chronicity of human infections. Gerbils treated weekly with 2 mg of methylprednisolone acetate developed hyperinfective strongyloidiasis with up to 8000 autoinfective larvae occurring in these animals at postinfection day 21. Autoinfection never occurred in normal (untreated) gerbils.