The effect of the intestinal phase of Trichinella spiralis on the open-field behavior of mice.

The study assessed the impact of the adult phase of Trichinella spiralis on the open-field behavior of mice. Thiabendazole treatment was used to chemosterilize adult worms in vivo. Untreated mice exhibited a marked decline in their ambulatory and exploratory activities (from day 14 post-infection until the end of the experiment). In contrast, infected mice treated with thiabendazole did not exhibit any behavioral alterations. This suggested that the adult phase of T. spiralis did not contribute to behavioral pathology in the mouse host.