Investigation on Possibility of Rodents to Transmit Human Ascaris lumbricoides eggs from Contaminated Soil

Abstract

Background: Ascaris lumbricoides is commonly found in soils among communities living with poor sanitation facilities. Commonly human helminths do not survive in animals’ guts and vice versa. However, the high burden of Ascariasis among indigenous communities could be transmitted by rodents as a vector. Hence, this study was carried out to address this hypothesis. 

Methods: The eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides were isolated from soil samples from an indigenous village in Malaysia, the eggs were isolated using the floatation technique and cultured in vitro using 0.1% of sulphuric acid dish and embryonation of the parasite eggs was observed daily under a light microscope till day 28. For the in vivo method, the embryonated eggs around 400 epg and 800 epg were feed to the rats for four weeks. Finally, stool samples were collected for Ascaris egg shedding.

Results: The loamy eggs collected near toiled areas using the floatation technique were found to contain Ascaris lumbricoides eggs. The cultured eggs in sulphuric acid developed from the first-cell stage until the fourth stage of development. Discharge of Ascaris eggs were found in stool samples among rats fed with 200epg of Ascaris eggs.

Conclusion: It was found that 0.1% sulphuric acid was ideal for developing Ascaris lumbricoides eggs for cultivating in vitro condition, and there was the possibility of rats carrying the Ascaris eggs throughout the village. In future, these findings can be used to propagate the eggs for testing anthelminthic drugs inhibiting the developmental stages.

Keywords: Animal model; Ascaris lumbricoides; Sulphuric acid; In vivo; In vitro culture; Rat