Ecology of Hepaticola hepatica infection in rodents in southern West Siberia

Abstract

The paper analyzes data of the long-term monitoring of Hepaticola hepatica (Bancroft, 1893) Hall, 1916 prevalence in rodents in subtaiga small-leaf forests of the Northern Baraba lowland (the Severnyi raion of Novosibirsk oblast). The study found that the prevalence was (10.4 ± 1.02)% in Arvicola terrestris L., 1758; 4.5% in Microtus agrestis L., 1761; 3.4% in M. oeconomus Pall.,1776; 1.4% in Clethrionomys glareolus Schreb., 1780; 1.0% in C. rutilus Pall., 1779; and 0.2% in Apodemus agrarius Pall., 1771. A. terrestris was shown to become dominant in rodent communities during its outbreaks and play the main role in completing the life cycle of the parasite. During low density of A. terrestris, the H. hepatica reservoir in the biocenosis is maintained by other rodent species.