Growth and development of Hymenolepis microstoma in mice acclimated to different environmental temperatures

Abstract

Regardless of host sex or worm population size, Hymenolepis microstoma grown in mice acclimated to 5 °C were significantly heavier and produced more eggs than those from the controls (21 °C) which, in turn, were significantly heavier and produced more eggs than worms grown in hosts acclimated to 35 °C. Patency also varied according to temperature. Eggs were always present in the feces of the controls on day 14 postinfection (p.i.) but mice at 35 °C never passed eggs before day 15 p.i. At 5 °C male mice did not differ from the controls but the feces of females at this temperature invariably contained eggs on day 13 p.i. In multiple-worm infections the mean dry weights of worms decreased as the size of the parasite population per host increased in all temperature groups except males at 35 °C.