Abstract

This study focused on the spirurid nematode Mastophorus muris in water voles (Arvicola amphibius) trapped in three regions in southern Sweden during spring and fall 2013. The collection of water voles formed part of a larger project (EMIRO) on the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis in rodents. The voles' stomach contents were examined for the presence of M. muris. Prevalence, mean abundance and mean intensity of infection were calculated. A generalized linear model model was used to examine the effects of sex, functional group, season and region on the number of M. muris individuals in each vole. Forty-seven of 181 (26%) voles were infected with M. muris, with up to 74 worms each. The overall mean intensity (worms per infected vole) was 15 (95% CI 10-21), and abundance (mean number of worms in all voles) was 4 (95% CI 2-6). Model output indicated a significant effect of season and region with respect to abundance of nematode infection, which was independent of sex and functional group of the investigated host.

Keywords

Arvicola; Mastophorus muris; nematode; seasonal variation; water vole

Published in

Journal of Helminthology
2020, Volume: 94, article number: e6

SLU Authors

• Miller, Andrea

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Olsson, Gert

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Höglund, Johan

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Zoology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X18000937

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/99594