Effect of toxoplasmosis on experimental schistosomiasis

One hundred and twenty Swiss albino mice were infected with avirulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii (Czechoslovakian strain) challenged with Schistosoma mansoni at different intervals of one week, one month, and two months. Worm load, egg count, oogram pattern and liver and spleen weight were assessed for each mouse. Toxoplasmosis induced a significant resistance to Schistosoma mansoni challenge infection as evidenced by the reduction in worm load, egg count and changes in oogram pattern. The mean liver weights of concomitantly infected mice was increased which was not significantly different from their corresponding Schistosoma infected controls but the increase in spleen weight was significant.