Long-term trends in helminth infections of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) from the vicinity of Malham Tarn in North Yorkshire, England.
Parasitology
; 148(4): 451-463, 2021 04.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33256865
ABSTRACT
Helminth infections in wood mice (n = 483), trapped over a period of 26 years in the woods surrounding Malham Tarn in North Yorkshire, were analysed. Although 10 species of helminths were identified, the overall mean species richness was 1.01 species/mouse indicating that the helminth community was relatively depauperate in this wood mouse population. The dominant species was Heligmosomoides polygyrus, the prevalence (64.6%) and abundance (10.4 worms/mouse) of which declined significantly over the study period. Because of the dominance of this species, analyses of higher taxa (combined helminths and combined nematodes) also revealed significantly declining values for prevalence, although not abundance. Helminth species richness (HSR) and Brillouin's index of diversity (BID) did not show covariance with year, neither did those remaining species whose overall prevalence exceeded 5% (Syphacia stroma, Aonchotheca murissylvatici and Plagiorchis muris). Significant age effects were detected for the prevalence and abundance of all higher taxa, H. polygyrus and P. muris, and for HSR and BID, reflecting the accumulation of helminths with increasing host age. Only two cases of sex bias were found; male bias in abundance of P. muris and combined Digenea. We discuss the significance of these results and hypothesize about the underlying causes.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Enfermedades de los Roedores
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Murinae
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Helmintiasis Animal
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Helmintos
Tipo de estudio:
Prevalence_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Animals
País como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article