Smulkiųjų žinduolių kraujo parazitai: Trypanosoma sp

• Main Author: Kovalkova, Anastasija
• Other Authors: Baltrūnaitė, Laima
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: Lithuanian; English
• Published: Institutional Repository of Vilnius University 2018
• Subjects: Common vole
• Online Access: http://vu.lvb.lt/VU:ELABAETD35761842&prefLang=en_US

Trypanosoma sp. comprises of a vast number of protists parasitising all vertebrate taxa (including humans). These parasites are poorly investigated in Lithuania and there is no data of their prevalence in natural populations of small mammals. It is known that small mammals are primary reservoir hosts of these parasites, so the main aim of this sudy is to investigate and evaluate the prevalence of Trypanosoma sp. parasites in small mammal species found in Lithuania. The live-trapping of small mammals was carried out in 2016 – 2017 during the months of August – October in Vilnius city district. Small mammals we live-trapped using the standart line method. Four habitats were chosen for this study: unmanaged mesic grassland, unmanaged mesic grassland overgrowing with forest trees, ecotone of intensive unmixed crops and unmanaged mesic grassland and non-riverine woodland with Betula, Populus tremula or Sorbus aucuparia. In total, 225 small mammals belonging to 7 species were caught: Eurasian Harvest Mouse, House Mouse, Yellow-necked Field Mouse, Striped Field Mouse, Bank Vole, Common Vole and Field Vole. Trypanosoma sp. parasites were identified in 11 small mammal individuals of 3 species: Yellow-necked Field Mouse, Bank Vole and Field Vole. This made up 4,89% of the 225 small mammals caught. The average parasite prevalence was 7.05% while the average parasite intensity was 0.07 trypomastigotes/100 erythrocytes. Infection prevalence varied from 1.37% to 33.33% in the small mammal community.