Oral transmission of Brugia pahangi to dogs

Abstract

Oral transmission of Brugia pahangi, already demonstrated in jirds, has now been accomplished in dogs. Beagle puppies, four anesthetized and two unanesthetized, were exposed to B. pahangi by instilling third-stage larvae (L-3s) into the mouth. Infections matured in all the dogs, and adult worms were recovered mainly from the mandibular, retropharyngeal, and axillary lymphatics. Worms were relatively numerous and peripheral microfilaremia developed in the dogs exposed under anesthetic, while worms were infrequent and microfilariae were found only intracardially in the dogs exposed without anesthetic. It appears that in orally exposed dogs, as in jirds studied earlier, the successful L-3s probably penetrated mucosa in or near the mouth.