Population dynamics of Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep: the effect of infection rate on loss of adult parasites.

Abstract Rejection of adult T. colubriformis was examined in lambs given 2000, 1124, 632 or 200 L3 day −1 , 5 days per week for up to 20 weeks. Rejection of adults began at approximately the same time for the first three infection rates, and took about 9 weeks to complete. Approximately 20% of adults were rejected by week 10 of infection at the higher infection rates and it was estimated that rejection commenced at about week 7. This coincided with a decline in establishment of larvae to about 1%. For the low infection rate, there was a delay of about 5 weeks before adult worm rejection commenced and reached equivalent levels to those observed at the higher rates. This delay also coincided with an estimated 5-week delay in larval establishment declining to 1% at the low rate.