Vaccination of rats and pigs against Trichinella spiralis spiralis using the subspecies, T. spiralis nativa.

Rats and pigs were vaccinated against Trichinella spiralis spiralis either by feeding infective larvae of the subspecies, Trichinella spiralis nativa in musculature or by gavage. The number of larvae established in the musculature of vaccinated nonchallenged and vaccinated challenged rats and pigs were negligible and statistically comparable, while highly significant infections were established in the nonvaccinated challenged rats and pigs. High vaccination doses of T. spiralis nativa gave virtually complete protection to challenge with T. spiralis spiralis in pigs. The results of one trial in rats with a lower vaccination dose of larvae suggest that there is a minimal vaccination dose of larvae required to elicit marked resistance to challenge. The low numbers of muscle larvae established due to the high vaccination doses of larvae confirm the low infectivity of the subspecies, T. spiralis nativa in rats and pigs.