Food intake and body weight changes in mice infected with metacestodes of Taenia crassiceps.

General nutritional effects on female CFLP mice harbouring larval Taenia crassiceps were investigated using groups of mice fed ad libitum on purified diets containing 2%, 4%, 8% and 16% (w/w) protein respectively. When uninfected and infected mice were compared over an experimental period of 20 weeks, it was established that a significantly higher proportion of uninfected mice survived the course of the experiment than infected mice. There was no evidence of the presence of the parasites having any effect on the overall food intake of the mice. Infected mice, however, were found to be significantly heavier, on a fresh weight basis, than their uninfected partners, but the pattern was reversed when the dry weights of mouse carcasses were compared following the removal of parasites. In general, more parasite tissue was recovered from mice feeding on the higher protein diets (8% and 16%).