Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 11. (Budapest, 1978)
Parasit. Hung. 11. 1978 Blood Parasites of Small Mammals in Western Hungary Dr. Zdenèk SEBEK Department of Parasitology, District Station of Uygiene, Jihlava, Czechoslovakia "Blood parasites of small mammals in western Hungary" - Sebek, Z. - Parasit. Hung. 11. 17-22. 1978. ABSTRACT. Results of the examination of blood smears of 291 small mammals (Insectivora and Rodentia) are presented. Trypanosoma grosi was found in Apodemus flavicollis and A. sylvaticus, T. evotomys in Clethrionomys glareolus and Trypanosoma sp. in Sorex minutus (first host record). Hepatozoon sp. has been shown in S. araneus, H. sylvatici in A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus, H. erhardovae in C. glareolus. Grahamellas were found to occur in A. flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, C. glareolus, M. arvalis as well as in Crocidura suaveolens and C. leucodon, the latter two being new host records. Most blood parasites, especially Trypanosomes, of the free living terrestrial mammals in Central Europe are host-specific. The host specificity of Grahamellas is still not clear, but the possibility of the transmission of Babesia microti to the members of different small mammalian orders (SHORTT and BLACKIE, 1965) and to man (PEENEN and HEALY, 1970) has been established. This finding substantially changed the practical importance of blood parasites of free living small mammals in Central Europe as was pointed out by SEBEK et al. (1973). Pathogenicity of blood parasites of small mammals for their typical hosts is usually low. Trypanosomes and Grahamellas are considered as wholly apathogenic, very low pathogenicity is evident in blood Coccidia of the genus Hepatozoon. Conversely, I am of the opinion that the pathogenicity in Babesia microti must be considered at least partial, as indicated by remarkable splenomegaly, sometimes high per cent of infected erythrocytes, and the cases of human piroplasmosis (babesiosis) in the United States of America caused by Babesia mic roti (BENSON et al. , 1969; RISTIC, 1970; PEENEN and HEALY , 1970; ANDERSEN et al. , 1974). It is well known that some latent chronic infections with blood parasites, e.g. Bar tonella, manifest themselves after weakening of the macroorganism caused by another disease or splenectomy. An infection with blood parasites appears to render host species more susceptible to bacterial or viral pathogens or can cause deterioration in the course of the primary disease. Blood parasites of the free living small terrestrial mammals are as yet not studied in Hungary and the present communication is the first record on this. Material ami Methods A total of 291 small free living terrestrial mammals (Insectivora and Rodentia), representing 12 species, were examined. Trappings were carried out in 7 localities: Sopron Tómalom, Fertöboz (Com. Győr-Sopron), Gic, Városlőd, Vinye, Somhegypuszta and Tótvázsony (Com. Veszprém). Blood smears were prepared, dried, fixed in methylalcohol and stained with Giemsa.* I wish to express my thanks to Ing. J. NOSEK C.Sc. , who made and committed to me the preparations.
