The complete life cycle of Spirometra erinacei has been experimentally maintained in the laboratory. The cyclops were reared as the first intermediate host, and the tadpoles of Rana nigromaculata as the second intermediate host. ICR mice were used as another second host. The experimental definitive hosts were dogs and cats. Maturation and hatching of the eggs took 8 to 14 days by incubation at 29 degrees C.
The coracidium measured 43.8 x 36.9 microns. Mesocyclops leuckarti and Eucyclops serrulatus were susceptible to the coracidial infection. The procercoids older than 5 days in the cyclops had minute spines at the anterior end, calcium corpuscles in the body parenchyme and the cercomer at the posterior end. Procercoids 10 to 20 days old were infective to tadpoles, and 15 or 21 day old worms could infect the mice. The plerocercoids from the tadpoles at 15 days after experimental infection were pear-shaped and shorter than 1 mm in the length and were infective to mice. Fifteen to 18 days after experimental inoculation of plerocercoids to dogs or cats, the adult worms began to produce eggs. One life cycle from egg to egg needed 48 to 67 days in the laboratory. The morphology of larval or adult worms was compatible with the description of Spirometra erinacei.
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