The parasitemia of cloned Trypanoplasma borreli Laveran and Mesnil, 1901, in laboratory-infected common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 75; no. 5; p. 685
• Main Authors: Steinhagen, D, Kruse, P, Körting, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1989
• Subjects: Animals; Carps - parasitology; Cyprinidae - parasitology; Eukaryota - growth & development; Eukaryota - isolation & purification; Fish Diseases - blood; Fish Diseases - parasitology; Protozoan Infections - blood; Protozoan Infections - parasitology; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Temperature
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.2307/3283050

The course of parasitemia of cloned Trypanoplasma borreli in laboratory-infected common carp was investigated. In 25-42-g carp kept at 20 C, the prepatent period was 8 days; after a phase of exponential growth, the parasitemia peaked at day 39 postinjection (PI) at a level of about 10(3) T. borreli/microliters blood. This maximum was followed by a chronic phase of about 6 wk with large numbers of T. borreli. At 20 wk PI, T. borreli was absent in infected carp. In 2.2-g carp kept at 20 C, the prepatent period was 4 days only, and the parasitemia peaked at day 23 PI. At 30 C, T. borreli was present in the blood only for 12 wk, and the number of T. borreli did not exceed 162 trypanoplasms/microliters blood. Carp kept at 8 and 15 C showed retarded development of parasitemia. The prepatent period lasted longer and the generation time was increased, but the level of parasitemia was not affected. Carp, inoculated at 8 C and then warmed to 20 C on days 27 and 55 PI, developed a parasitemia of 10(4) flagellates/microliters blood and showed high mortalities. During the prepatent period, T. borreli was found in the muscle tissue of the inoculation area but in no other tissue. In the kidney, T. borreli was found 27 hr PI, whereas in the circulating blood it was manifest at day 3 PI. At the same time it was manifest in the liver and spleen.