For TSO users, because of the horrible expense, I’ve thought of a potentially elegant solution. Why not get and infect a pig? In most city ordinances, pot-belly pigs are allowed, and were quite popular in the 80’s as pets. I’m told they are intelligent, trainable animals that can live with dogs happily. I used to live across the street from one, and it could be quite loud at times, but also was rather cute.
If one were to feed them a vial of trichuris suis, I imagine they would implant in the pig. I don’t know the longevity of the pig whipworm, or the methods one would have to take in order to isolate the ova from the pig’s feces in order to avoid contamination and ingesting any fecal flora that one wouldn’t desire, but with a little research, I imagine it would be possible. The pig whipworm was chosen since pig farmers have been exposed to this organism for a long time and were considered asymptomatic. It could also be protective to people’s children, as contact with farm animals is associated with a decrease in pediatric crohn’s disease.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/120/2/354#F1
I wonder if using cow or horse manure on vegetable crops would be protective?
If anyone experiments with this idea; gets a pig and isolates the pig whipworm, please share with us your methods.
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