The prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum and C. muris in Mus domesticus, Apodemus sylvaticus and Clethrionomys glareolus in an agricultural system.
Wild mice and voles were tested for Cryptosporidium during a 2-year survey at an agricultural site in Warwickshire, United Kingdom. C. parvum and C. muris, the two cryptosporidial species known to infect mammals, were detected. Prevalence figures of 22%, 21% and 13% noted for C. parvum for Mus domesticus, Apodemus sylvaticus and Clethrionomys glareolus, respectively, were higher than those recorded for C. muris at 10%, 6% and 2%. C. parvum causes the sometimes severe diarrhoeal disease cryptosporidiosis in many hosts, but the wild rodents were asymptomatic. The discovery of C. muris in A. sylvaticus and C. glareolus confirms a wider distribution in wild rodents than has previously been reported. Rodents may represent a significant reservoir of Cryptosporidium with a high potential for infection of man and livestock due to cohabitation.
Chalmers
R M
RM
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Coventry University, UK. byk032@coventry.ac.uk
Sturdee
A P
AP
Bull
S A
SA
Miller
A
A
Wright
S E
SE
D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000469:parasitology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009115:Muridae / Q000469:parasitology; D015995:Prevalence; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology