Pneumocystosis in wild small mammals from California.
Cyst forms of the opportunistic fungal parasite Pneumocystis carinii were found in the lungs of 34% of the desert shrew, Notiosorex crawfordi (n = 59), 13% of the ornate shrew, Sorex ornatus (n = 55), 6% of the dusky-footed wood rat, Neotoma fuscipes (n = 16), 2.5% of the California meadow vole, Microtus californicus (n = 40), and 50% of the California pocket mouse, Chaetodipus californicus (n = 2) caught from southern California between February 1998 and February 2000. Cysts were not found in any of the harvest mouse, Reithrodontomys megalotis (n = 21), California mouse, Peromyscus californicus (n = 20), brush mouse, Peromyscus boylii (n = 7) or deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus (n = 4) examined. All infections were mild; extrapulmonary infections were not observed. Other lung parasites detected were Hepatozoon sp./spp. from M. californicus and Notiosorex crawfordi, Chrysosporium sp. (Emmonsia) from M. californicus, and a nematode from S. ornatus.
Laakkonen
J
J
Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0116, USA. Juha@biomail.ucsd.edu
Fisher
R N
RN
Case
T J
TJ
D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016787:Haemosporida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology; D009115:Muridae; D010542:Peromyscus; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012377:Rodentia; D012788:Shrews