Isolation of Strongyloides venezuelensis from Rattus norvegicus in Kagoshima Prefecture

On 30 August 1984, Strongyloides sp. specimens were isolated from a rat (Rattus norvegicus) trapped at a pig farm in Kiire-cho, Ibusuki-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture. Both anterior and posterior ovaries of parasitic female were spirally coiled. The means of body length and width, esophagus length, and the distances from mouth to vulva and from anus to tail end were 2,493, 34.5, 719.8, 1,682.8 and 54.4 microns respectively. Filariform larvae measured 544.2, 15.6 and 238.5 microns in the means of body length and width, and esophagus length respectively. These measurements of the present Strongyloides species agreed with those described for S. venezuelensis. Infection rate by oral administration of larvae was low, while subcutaneous inoculation and percutaneous exposure to larvae produced high infection rate to rats which discharged many egg in the feces. The present parasite has been passaged through rats (SD strain) in these 8 years. This isolate is designated as the Kagoshima strain of S. venezuelensis.