An improved method for recovery of muscle-stage larvae from mice infected with Toxocara canis.

We report a modified digestion method that improves the recovery of Toxocara canis larvae from skeletal muscle. Minced muscle tissue from infected mice was incubated in artificial gastric juice for 48 hr at 37 C, and ethanol was added for the second 24 hr. This procedure allowed the larvae to be identified and counted more quickly than with the standard digestion method. This method allows measurement of the total number of larvae present in muscle tissue following oral intubation of embryonated eggs, although it does not permit counting of live larvae.