Effect of transferred adult Schistosoma mansoni on resistance of mice to cercarial challenge.

Four or eight adult Schistosoma mansoni surgically transfered to the mesenteric veins of mice survive well and may play a role in resistance to later cercarial challenge. After receiving transfers of single sex or paired flukes, animals exposed to 50or 100 cercariae showed decreased numbers of parasites derived from the challenge infection when compared with control animals 30 days later. Although statistical analysis of the data indicated that the presence of transferred S. mansoni probably had an adverse effect on the survival of worms in a subsequent challenge, the results were interpreted as inconclusive.