Hymenolepis pseudodiminuta Tenora et al. 1994 from Apodemus speciosus and H. diminuta: a comparison of experimental infections in rats.

The successful maintenance of Hymenolepis pseudodiminuta, isolated from Apodemus speciosus, is described for the first time. In the laboratory, the flour beetle, Tribolium confusum, and F344 rats could serve as intermediate and definitive hosts, respectively. In single worm infections with H. pseudodiminuta, which were carried in two groups of rats, adult worms were recovered from eight and seven out of ten rats, respectively, while Hymenolepis diminuta was found in all of ten rats 6 weeks after inoculation. The worm weight of H. pseudodiminuta in rats was significantly lower than that of H. diminuta. The egg output of H. pseudodiminuta occurred significantly earlier than that of H. diminuta. The number of eggs in the faeces of H. diminuta-infected rats was approximately twofold higher than the number in the faeces of H. pseudodiminuta-infected rats throughout the course of the infection. Mucosal mast cells in rats infected with H. pseudodiminuta were significantly more common than in rats infected with H. diminuta. No detectable IgE antibodies were found in the uninfected and H. diminuta-infected rat groups; however total IgE was detected in H. pseudodiminuta-infected rats but the concentrations were variable between individuals.