Acta Parasitologica Homepage
Tables of Contents
Volume 44 Tables of Contents
Acta Parasitologica, Vol.44, No. 3, 1999, 204-205
Bajer Anna (1), Behnke Jerzy M. (2), Pawelczyk Agnieszka (1), Sinski Edward (1)* - First evidence of Ehrlichia sp. in wild Microtus arvalis from Poland.

* Corresponding author

(1) Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warszawa, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland; (2) Department of Life Science, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
ABSTRACT

We examined a total of 73 Microtus arvalis, 168 Clethrionomys glareolus and 17 Apodemus flavicollis trapped in the Mazury Lakes district of North-Eastern Poland, in the spring, summer and autumn of 1998. Three M. arvalis, (2 in summer and 1 in autumn) carried Ehrlichia sp. (overall prevalence = 4.1%), whereas infection was not detected in the other rodent species. We hypothesize that Ixodes ricinus (the most common tick in the region) with which the animals were heavily infested, constitutes the likely natural vector for this pathogen and that M. arvalis are its natural reservoir.

KEY WORDS: Ehrlichia, Microtus arvalis, rodents
Page compiled by Aleksander H.Kedra. Last modification: 05-10-1999