title: Long-term dynamics of natural populations of Schistosoma mansoni among Rattus rattus in patchy environment.
abstract: Dynamics of natural populations of Schistosoma mansoni were studied during 8 consecutive years among Rattus rattus populations from 8 transmission sites of the marshy forest focus of Guadeloupe (French West Indies). The schistosome population is over-dispersed (k = 0.119) within the murine hosts and ecological factors linked to the patchy environment may be responsible for such aggregated distribution. Analysis of the spatio-temporal variations in prevalences, intensities and abundances showed limited variations of the infection during the 8 years at the level of the whole parasite population but great spatial heterogeneity at the level of local schistosome populations. Inter-populational genetic variability linked to the degree of adaptation of this human parasite to the murine host may explain differences in transmission dynamics between the local populations of S. mansoni.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie Animale, URA CNRS 698, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie tropicale et méditerranéenne, Perpignan, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Théron
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pointier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morand
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Imbert-Establet
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000469:parasitology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009115:Muridae / Q000469:parasitology*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D015995:Prevalence; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000254:growth & development*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014900:West Indies / Q000453:epidemiology