Immunosuppression in experimental trypanosomiasis: effects of Trypanosoma equiperdum on the pathogenesis of influenza virus infection in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).

The effects of Trypanosoma equiperdum infections on the immunological and pathological responses of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) to influenza virus exposure were investigated. Mice carrying a 5 week trypanosome infection along with an age- and sex-matched trypanosome-free control group were simultaneously exposed to influenza Ao (WSN) virus. T. equiperdum infection significantly (P less than 0.01) converted a sub-lethal virus attack into a fatal pneumonic process in a small proportion of animals. In addition, the trypanosome caused a reduction (p less than 0.1) in virus replication on PID 1 and 2, accompanied later by a tendency towards virus persistence in the lungs of affected mice. This tendency was manifested by a log reduction in virus titres between PID 2 and 4 and PID 4 and 6 in the lungs of trypanosome-infected mice, compared to 2 log drops over the same periods in the lungs of control mice. T. equiperdum infection also significantly (p less than 0.001) depressed serum and pulmonary neutralizing antibody titres to influenza virus.