Primary infections with Babesia microti are not prolonged by concurrent Heligmosomoides polygyrus

Seven experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that concurrent infection with the chronic and immunomodulatory intestinal nematode parasites, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, and the piroplasm, Babesia microti, would result in more intense and long-lasting infections with the hemoprotozoan. However, despite variations in the experimental protocols (different mouse strains, varying levels of infection and different intervals between infection with the two species) a significantly higher B. microti parasitaemia was detected on only one occasion, and a significantly lower parasitaemia on two occasions, relative to control mice. In none of our experiments was the duration of infection prolonged. We conclude that the presence of H. polygyrus does not interfere markedly with the host's ability to mount a protective response against B. microti and hence season-dependent peaks of abundance of H. polygyrus in wild rodents are unlikely to present a particular threat to human communities by providing a greater reservoir of infection with B. microti in wild rodents than at other times of the year.