Open AccessSeasonal and annual variations in the prevalence of blood parasites in cyclic species of small rodents in Norway with special reference to Clethrionomys glareolus
Author(s) -
Wiger Richard
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
ecography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.973
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1600-0587
pISSN - 0906-7590
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0587.1979.tb00697.x
Subject(s) - hepatozoon , apodemus , clethrionomys glareolus , biology , microtus , babesia , zoology , veterinary medicine , ecology , virology , population , medicine , demography , sociology
An investigation of the blood parasites of Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus agrestis and Apodemus sylvaticus from southern Norway revealed four genera, Trypanosoma, Babesia, Hepatozoon and Grahamella. C. glareolus and M. agrestis harbored all four genera, but Hepatozoon was not detected in A. sylvaticus. Babesia was fairly common in M. agrestis but rare in the other rodents. The peak prevalence of Grahamella and Hepatozoon in C. glareolus occurred in early summer whereas trypanosomes peaked near the end of the summer. Infections with trypanosomes and/or Grahamella in C. glareolus were associated with lowered hematocrit levels and enlarged spleens.