Physiological responses of insular wild black rat (Rattus rattus) to natural infection by the digenean trematode Fasciola hepatica

• Published in: Parasitology Research
• Main Authors: Magnanou, Elodie, Fons, R., Feliu, C., Morand, S.
• Other Authors: Modèles en biologie cellulaire et évolutive (MBCE), Observatoire océanologique de Banyuls (OOB), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR CBGP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD France-Sud )-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2006
• Subjects: [SDV.BID.EVO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE]; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03884445; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0063-1

International audience Wild black rat Rattus rattus is regularly infected by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica on Corsica. This report constitutes the only example of a murid rodent that plays an important epidemiological role for the Fasciolosis. We investigated the influence of such unusual parasite infection on black rat physiology by measuring its oxygen consumption at different ambient temperatures. Black rat energy requirements are influenced by body mass, temperature of the experiment and parasite infestation. The influence of the presence of F. hepatica was more pronounced for cold temperatures. The mean increase of 56% in oxygen requirements for infected rats is extremely high, indeed unexpected, according to previous knowledge. These high physiological constraints may be explained by the recent confrontation of the digenean and the rodent.