Parasitological effects of simultaneous infections induced by Schistosoma mansoni and aflatoxin B1 in Syrian golden hamsters.

To determine the effect of S. mansoni and aflatoxin B1, 120 hamsters were divided into six groups of 20 each as follows: group I, S. mansoni only, group II, aflatoxin B1 only, group III, S. mansoni then aflatoxin B1 eight week, group IV, aflatoxin B1 then infected with S. mansoni six weeks, later, group V, aflatoxin B1 and S. mansoni simultaneously, group VI control. Loss of body, liver, and spleen weight was more prominent in groups IV and V than in other four groups. The higher mortality rate was in group III. Animals treated with aflatoxin followed by S. mansoni infection appeared to have a less deteriorating effect on the liver (group IV) than group III treated with by S. mansoni first followed by aflatoxin treatment. No morphological abnormalities were detected in the worms including testicular changes in males but a significant number of females was immature even in copula (P < 0.01) in groups III, IV, and V. The average number of S. mansoni eggs was less in groups III, IV, and V in comparison to group I. No abnormalities were detected in the eggs for groups infected with S. mansoni. The diameters of granulomas around eggs, were large on an average in groups III, IV and V as compared with groups I and II.