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- Title
Toxoplasmosis in a wild rodent population of central Scotland and a possible explanation of the mode of transmission.
- Authors
Jackson, M. H.; Siim, J. Chr.
- Abstract
Three species of rodent, Apodemus sylvaticus, Clethrionomys glareolus and Rattus norvegicus were captured over a two-year period and examined for Toxoplasma infection using the Sabin-Feldman dye-test. Titres of 1: ≥ 10 were considered as positive. The rates of infection during the first year were 20%, 17·6% and 10·9%, respectively, but during the second year only one infected animal ( A. sylvaticus) was captured, giving rates of 1·9%, 0% and 0%. Brain cysts were observed in 11 of the 20 animals which had titres of 1: ≥ 10, but no Hammondia cysts were observed in the muscles of any of these 20. Brain cysts were not observed in any animals which had dye-test titres of 1: ≥ 10. Because of differences between the two years in the numbers and population structure of R. norvegicus, the data for this species could not be analysed unequivocally. The data for A. sylvaticus and C. glareolus show no difference in the rates of infection between males and females, nor between young animals and adults. A congenital mode of transmission of the infection is postulated to explain the difference in infection rates between the two years, the relatively high rates during the first year, and the increasing incidence during that period. Lack of a significant difference between the infection rates in males and females and young and adults fits the model of a congenital infection. The alternative model of contraction of the infection from cat faeces in the environment is not supported by the data.
- Publication
Journal of Zoology, 1986, Vol 209, Issue 4, p549
- ISSN
0952-8369
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1469-7998.1986.tb03610.x