An in vitro screening test for compounds active against the parenteral stages of Trichinella spiralis.

A new in vitro screening test for compounds showing activity against the tissue stages of Trichinella spiralis is described. In this test freshly decapsulated larvae of the parasite are exposed to low concentrations of experimental compound in a medium capable of supporting th partial development of the worms. The screen which does not require elaborate continuous flow equipment nor special gas phase detects the activity of those compounds known to be effective against the parenteral stages of the parasite in mice. It has been shown to be a highly selective test giving rise to very few irrelevant or misleading results.