THE USE OF SUCKLING MICE TO ISOLATE AND GROW GIARDIA FROM MAMMALIAN FECAL SPECIMENS FOR GENETIC-ANALYSIS

A simple technique is described for preparation of Giardia cysts from faecal samples, the growth of trophozoites in suckling mice and the isolation of trophozoites for genetic analysis by allozyme electrophoresis. In total, 125 new isolates of Giardia have been collected from human and animal sources over a wide geographical area of South Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia. A number of long-established axenized isolates of G. intestinalis belonging to Groups I and II also adapted to grow in suckling mice. These findings indicate that suckling mice are permissive hosts for a variety of genetically dissimilar but morphologically similar organisms of the G. duodenalis type and that this in vivo technique may be less selective than isolation by in vitro culture. The use of suckling mice has revealed that infections can be composed of mixed genotypes and that isolation and purification techniques can be selective. Allozymic interpretation is essential to reveal the genetic complexity of such mixtures.