Publications

vocal development during postnatal growth and ear morphology in a shrew that generates seismic vibrations, diplomesodon pulchellum.	the ability of adult and subadult piebald shrews (diplomesodon pulchellum) to produce 160hz seismic waves is potentially reflected in their vocal ontogeny and ear morphology. in this study, the ontogeny of call variables and body traits was examined in 11 litters of piebald shrews, in two-day intervals from birth to 22 days (subadult), and ear structure was investigated in two specimens using micro-computed tomography (micro-ct). across ages, the call fundamental frequency (f0) was stable in squ ...	2015	26112702
[genetic structure of the common shrew sorex araneus l. 1758 (mammalia, lipotyphla) in continuous and fragmented areas].	in this work the genetic variability of the common shrew populations sorex araneus l. in eastern europe was studied via sequencing of the mitochondrial gene cyt b. a total of 82 sequences of the mitochondrial gene cyt b with a length of 953 basepairs were analyzed, including five chromosome races in a continuous area of the species in forest zone and two races in fragmented area in the steppe zone. phylogeographic subdivision of the common shrew was not expressed, and there was no significant co ...	2015	26310034
stammerinema hyalinum n. comb. for filaria hyalina von linstow, 1890 and its recognition as a senior synonym of stammerinema rhopalocephalum (sołtys, 1952) (spirurida: acuariidae), a parasite of shrews.	based on a re-examination of type-specimens of filaria hyalina von linstow, 1890 from sorex araneus l. (mammalia: soricidae) and morphological studies (light and scanning electron microscopy) of specimens collected from the same host species in bulgaria and previously identified as stammerinema rhopalocephalum (sołtys, 1952), both these forms are considered to be conspecific. accordingly, f. hyalina is transferred to the genus stammerinema osche, 1955 as stammerinema hyalinum n. comb. and the sp ...	2015	25557751
the generalist tick ixodes ricinus and the specialist tick ixodes trianguliceps on shrews and rodents in a northern forest ecosystem--a role of body size even among small hosts.	understanding aggregation of ticks on hosts and attachment of life stages to different host species, are central components for understanding tick-borne disease epidemiology. the generalist tick, ixodes ricinus, is a well-known vector of lyme borrelioses, while the specialist tick, ixodes trianguliceps, feeding only on small mammals, may play a role in maintaining infection levels in hosts. in a northern forest in norway, we aimed to quantify the role of different small mammal species in feeding ...	2015	26671686
serological survey of seewis virus antibodies in patients suspected for hantavirus infection in finland; a cross-reaction between puumala virus antiserum with seewis virus n protein?	puumala virus (puuv, carried by myodes glareolus) co-circulates with seewis virus (swsv, carried by sorex araneus) in finland. while puuv causes 1000-3000 nephropathia epidemica (ne) cases annually, the pathogenicity of swsv to man is unknown. to study the prevalence of swsv antibodies in hantavirus fever-like patients' sera, we used recombinant swsv nucleocapsid (n) protein as the antigen in elisa, immunofluorescence assay (ifa) and immunoblotting. while characterizing the recombinant swsv n pr ...	2015	25787939
rickettsia species in fleas collected from small mammals in slovakia.	epidemiological and epizootiological studies of rickettsia felis and other rickettsia spp. are very important, because their natural cycle has not yet been established completely. in total, 315 fleas (siphonaptera) of 11 species of ceratophyllidae, hystrichopsyllidae and leptopsyllidae families were tested for the presence of rickettsia species and coxiella burnetii with conventional and specific quantitative real-time pcr assays. fleas were collected from five rodent hosts (myodes glareolus, ap ...	2015	26346455
declining ecosystem health and the dilution effect.	the "dilution effect" implies that where species vary in susceptibility to infection by a pathogen, higher diversity often leads to lower infection prevalence in hosts. for directly transmitted pathogens, non-host species may "dilute" infection directly (1) and indirectly (2). competitors and predators may (1) alter host behavior to reduce pathogen transmission or (2) reduce host density. in a well-studied system, we tested the dilution of the zoonotic puumala hantavirus (puuv) in bank voles (my ...	2016	27499001
revision of the genus soricinia spassky & spasskaja, 1954 (cestoda: cyclophyllidea: hymenolepididae) with redescriptions of three species, an amended generic diagnosis and an identification key to species.	redescriptions of three species of soricinia spassky & spasskaja, 1954 are provided. the type-species of the genus, soricinia soricis (baer, 1925), is redescribed on the basis of the holotype from the alpine shrew sorex alpinus schinz collected in salève mountain, france. since the type-material of soricinia infirma (żarnowski, 1955) has apparently been lost, a neotype from the type-host sorex araneus l. and from a region reasonably close to the type-locality (poltavska oblast' in the ukraine), ...	2016	27220999
tick-borne encephalitis virus diversity in ixodid ticks and small mammals in south-western siberia, russia.	the persistence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) in nature is maintained by numerous species of reservoir hosts, multiple transmissions between vertebrates and invertebrates, and the virus adaptation to its hosts. our aim: was to compare tbev isolates from ticks and small wild mammals to estimate their roles in the circulation of the viral subtypes.	2016	27303915
fugong virus, a novel hantavirus harbored by the small oriental vole (eothenomys eleusis) in china.	rodents are natural reservoirs of hantaviruses, which cause two disease types: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in eurasia and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in north america. hantaviruses related human cases have been observed throughout asia, europe, africa, and north america. to date, 23 distinct species of hantaviruses, hosted by reservoir, have been identified. however, the diversity and number of hantaviruses are likely underestimated in china, and hantavirus species that cause disease ...	2016	26880191
ecology of the tick-borne phlebovirus causing severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in an endemic area of china.	severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (sfts) is caused by sfts virus (sftsv), a tick-borne phlebovirus in family bunyaviridae. studies have found that humans, domestic and wildlife animals can be infected by sftsv. however, the viral ecology, circulation, and transmission remain largely unknown.	2016	27035712
molecular survey of zoonotic agents in rodents and other small mammals in croatia.	croatia is a focus for many rodent-borne zoonosis. here, we report a survey of 242 rodents and small mammals, including 43 myodes glareolus, 131 apodemus flavicollis, 53 apodemus agrarius, three apodemus sylvaticus, six sorex araneus, four microtus arvalis, one microtus agrestis, and one muscardinus avellanarius, collected at eight sites in croatia over an 8-year period. multiplex masstag polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was used for detection of borrelia, rickettsia, bartonella, babesia, ehrlich ...	2016	26711522
western siberia rivers and the boundaries between chromosomal races of the common shrew (sorex araneus l. lipotyphla, mammalia).	in western siberia, most boundaries between common shrew chromosomal races have been found to pass along the banks of rivers, mainly those flowing in the meridional direction. the races serov and novosibirsk co-inhabited the right bank of the irtysh. the easternmost point of the novosibirsk race has been found on the middle yenisei river, while the race tomsk in this area was only on the right (eastern) bank.	2016	28058602
the complete mitochondrial genome of the sorex araneus.	the sorex araneus (common shrew), a member of the soricidae family, is the most common shrew throughout northern europe. the region includes great britain, but excludes ireland. herein, we first publish the complete mitochondrial genome of s. araneus. the mitogenome is 16 887 bp in length, which contains 24 trna genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rrna genes and a control region. the overall gc content is 38.28%, which is lower than at. to verify the accuracy and utility of new determined mitogeno ...	2016	26328473
[significance of the smell of a conspecific for the spatial distribution of the common shrew sorex araneus l].	the significance of smell marks of conspecifics for the spatial distribution of common shrews was studied. the existence of two groups of individuals, which differ in their reaction to the smell of a conspecific, was shown. individuals with different reactions were shown to have reliable differences in the sizes of the areas visited by them, the mutual location of their plots, and the percent of activity combined with the activity of the neighbor. the significance of such differences in reaction ...	2016	24171318
[behavioral interactions of adult females of the common shrew (sorex araneus) with conspecifics on familiar territory].	interactions of overwintered females with conspecifics (> or = 5 days) on familiar territories were studied experimentally. in interactions of the resident females with unfamiliar overwintered females (28 experiments), there were no differences related to the reproductive status of both parties. between the behavior of the residents and aliens, there were no significant differences, except the refusals of contacts--and aliens had more of it. identification and affiliative behavior and the presen ...	2016	22988759
[the microsatellite polymorphism and gene flow in the contact zone of four common shrew (sorex araneus l., mammalia) chromosome races].	the variation of microsatellite loci in 130 individuals of four common shrew chromosome races (moscow, western dvina, seliger, and st. petersburg) contacting on the valdai hills was studied. a low level of genetic differences between the chromosome races, which differ at three-five fixed diagnostic metacentric chromosomes, was found. the genetic differentiation within the races is more considerable as compared with that between the races. a high deficiency in heterozygotes was recorded; presumab ...	2016	22117416
[two types of territory used by the common shrew sorex araneus l].	the home range of resident animals is considered as "known territory" including a "foraging region." it has been revealed that the activity of an average animal unit in the "foraging region" could be approximated by normal distribution. estimation of activity distribution in the "known territory" (beyond the "foraging region") was impeded by means of marking since it might be difficult to detect the frequency of distant translocations, and the method does not provide an essential body of data. i ...	2016	21442913
[density-dependent behavior of the shrews (sorex araneus, s. caecutiens, and s.minutus) in natural and experimental conditions].	the behavior of three common shrew species was compared in a test of pairwise placement in a neutral territory (10 min) for various population densities in natural habitats and for animals kept isolated or in groups in open-air cage conditions. the behavior of the animals captured in nature was considered as the norm. we considered total number of social contacts (as an index of social activity), as well as the proportions of direct and ritualized aggressive interactions, contact avoidances, and ...	2016	14994473
short-lived mammals (shrew, mouse) have a less robust metal-responsive transcription factor than humans and bats.	non-essential "heavy" metals such as cadmium tend to accumulate in an organism and thus are a particular threat for long-lived animals. here we show that two unrelated, short-lived groups of mammals (rodents and shrews, separated by 100 mio years of evolution) each have independently acquired mutations in their metal-responsive transcription factor (mtf-1) in a domain relevant for robust transcriptional induction by zinc and cadmium. while key amino acids are mutated in rodents, in shrews an ent ...	2016	27067444
discovery of novel alphacoronaviruses in european rodents and shrews.	eight hundred and thirteen european rodents and shrews encompassing seven different species were screened for alphacoronaviruses using pcr detection. novel alphacoronaviruses were detected in the species rattus norvegicus, microtus agrestis, sorex araneus and myodes glareolus. these, together with the recently described lucheng virus found in china, form a distinct rodent/shrew-specific clade within the coronavirus phylogeny. across a highly conserved region of the viral polymerase gene, the new ...	2016	27102167
empirical demonstration of hybrid chromosomal races in house mice.	western house mice (mus musculus domesticus) and common shrews (sorex araneus) are important models for study of chromosomal speciation. both had ancestral karyotypes consisting of telocentric chromosomes, and each is subdivided into numerous chromosomal races many of which have resulted from fixation of new mutations (robertsonian fusions and whole-arm reciprocal translocations). however, some chromosomal races in both species may alternatively have originated through hybridization, with partic ...	2016	27287407
a synopsis of records of myxozoan parasites (cnidaria: myxozoa) from shrews, with additional data on soricimyxum fegati from common shrew sorex araneus in hungary and pygmy shrew sorex minutus in slovakia.	myxozoans (cnidaria: myxozoa) are almost exclusively endoparasites of aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates, with the notable exception being two species of soricimyxum prunescu, prunescu, pucek et lom, 2007 described from terrestrial shrews (soricidae) in central europe. myxospores of the two parasites are morphologically indistinguishable, but have ssu rdna sequences that differ by about 4%. herein, we report additional molecular and histology data from soricimyxum fegati prunescu, prunescu, p ...	2016	27312127
morphometric distances and population structuring in the common shrew sorex araneus l. (lipotyphla: soricidae).	the skulls of shrews of genus sorex from eight samplings from the european part of russia and two from the vicinity of novosibirsk were compared. the characteristics were identified using 22 marks on the axial skull. it was found that the centroid size differs significantly in the common and laxmann's shrews s. caecutens and the pygmy shrew s. minutus, while for selected marks, the common and laxmann's, as well as pygmy, shrews were significantly different in form, but the differences were very ...	2016	30226938
[investigation on angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in rodents in zhangzhou city, fujian province].	to investigate the angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in rodents in zhangzhou city and provide basis for control the disease.	2016	30124244
infections of horses and shrews with bornaviruses in upper austria: a novel endemic area of borna disease.	borna disease, a lethal infection with borna disease virus-1 (bodv-1), was diagnosed in four horses from upper austria in 2015 and 2016. all cases occurred in winter (two cases in february 2015 and two cases in december 2016), and the maximal distance of the affected stables was 17 km. to demonstrate whether the causative agent was also harbored by its reservoir host, the bicolored white-toothed shrew (crocidura leucodon), 28 shrews from this geographic area were collected in 2015 and investigat ...	2017	28634359
rodents as a reservoir of infection caused by multiple zoonotic species/genotypes of c. parvum, c. hominis, c. suis, c. scrofarum, and the first evidence of c. muskrat genotypes i and ii of rodents in europe.	cryptosporidium spp. is an important causative agent of intestinal parasitoses-induced diarrhoea in humans and animals worldwide. rodents (small mammals), the main reservoir of infections, are globally expanded and overpopulated, which increases the risk of transfer of human and zoonotic pathogens from the genus cryptosporidium. in this study, cryptosporidium was detected in wild immunocompetent asymptomatic small mammals. altogether 262 fecal samples were collected from five areas in eastern sl ...	2017	28433573
dampening of population cycles in voles affects small mammal community structure, decreases diversity, and increases prevalence of a zoonotic disease.	long-term decline and depression of density in cyclic small rodents is a recent widespread phenomenon. these observed changes at the population level might have cascading effects at the ecosystem level. here, we assessed relationships between changing boreal landscapes and biodiversity changes of small mammal communities. we also inferred potential effects of observed community changes for increased transmission risk of puumala virus (puuv) spread, causing the zoonotic disease nephropatica epide ...	2017	28770071
"european" race-specific metacentrics in east siberian common shrews (sorex araneus): a description of two new chromosomal races, irkutsk and zima.	karyotype studies of common shrews in the vicinity of lake baikal (irkutsk region, eastern siberia) resulted in the description of two new chromosomal races ofsorex araneuslinnaeus, 1758 (lypotyphla, mammalia), additional to 5 races formerly found in siberia. in the karyotypes of 12 specimens from 3 locations, the polymorphism of metacentric and acrocentric chromosomes of the robertsonian type was recorded and two distinct groups of karyotypes interpreted as the chromosomal races were revealed. ...	2017	29302298
dual mechanism of chromatin remodeling in the common shrew sex trivalent (xy1y2).	here we focus on the xy1y2condition in male common shrewsorex araneuslinnaeus, 1758, applying electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry for a comprehensive analysis of structure, synapsis and behaviour of the sex trivalent in pachytene spermatocytes. the pachytene sex trivalent consists of three distinct parts: short and long synaptic sc fragments (between the x and y1and between the x and y2, respectively) and a long asynaptic region of the x in-between. chromatin inactivation was revealed in ...	2017	29114363
profound reversible seasonal changes of individual skull size in a mammal.	postnatal size changes in most vertebrates are unidirectional and finite once the individual reaches full size [1]. in rare cases, changes of body length may occur in response to harsh environmental conditions. such reactionary changes are distinct from seasonal, often anticipatory morphological changes, such as the reversible size change of some adult bird brains [2]. a unique pattern of profound anatomical change known as dehnel's phenomenon has been described for the body, skull and brain siz ...	2017	29065289
chromosome synapsis and recombination in male hybrids between two chromosome races of the common shrew (sorex araneus l., soricidae, eulipotyphla).	hybrid zones between chromosome races of the common shrew (sorex araneus) provide exceptional models to study the potential role of chromosome rearrangements in the initial steps of speciation. the novosibirsk and tomsk races differ by a series of robertsonian fusions with monobrachial homology. they form a narrow hybrid zone and generate hybrids with both simple (chain of three chromosomes) and complex (chain of eight or nine) synaptic configurations. using immunolocalisation of the meiotic pro ...	2017	29053571
study of male-mediated gene flow across a hybrid zone in the common shrew (sorex araneus) using y chromosome.	despite many studies, the impact of chromosome rearrangements on gene flow between chromosome races of the common shrew (sorex araneuslinnaeus, 1758) remains unclear. interracial hybrids form meiotic chromosome complexes that are associated with reduced fertility. nevertheless comprehensive investigations of autosomal and mitochondrial markers revealed weak or no barrier to gene flow between chromosomally divergent populations. in a narrow zone of contact between the novosibirsk and tomsk races ...	2017	28919973
karyotypic differentiation of populations of the common shrewsorex araneusl. (mammalia) in belarus.	the common shrews,sorex araneuslinnaeus, 1758, inhabiting the territory of belarus, are characterized by a significant variation in the frequency of robertsonian (rb) translocations. the frequency clines for translocations specific of three chromosome races: the west dvina (gm,hk,ip,no, qr), kiev (g/m,hi,k/o,n,p,q,r), and białowieża (g/r,hn,ik,m/p,o,q) have already been studied in this territory. in this communication we report new data on polymorphic populations with rb metacentrics specific of ...	2017	28919969
evolutionary history and phylogeographic relationships of shrews from sorex araneus group.	shrews of the sorex genus are an evolutionarily successful group that includes more than 77 species widely distributed in eurasia and north america. the genus is one of the rare cases where karyotypic changes reflect well the evolutionary relationships among its species. the taxa showing the greatest variation in karyotype are usually classified into the sorex araneus group. its evolution was associated with chromosomal rearrangements, which could have promoted fast diversification of this group ...	2017	28650986
stable carbon isotopes in breath reveal fast metabolic incorporation rates and seasonally variable but rapid fat turnover in the common shrew (sorex araneus).	small non-migratory mammals with northern distribution ranges apply a variety of behavioural and physiological wintering strategies. a rare energy-saving strategy is dehnel's phenomenon, involving a reduction and later regrowth of the body size, several organs and parts of the skeleton in red-toothed shrews (soricidae). the size extremes coincide with major life stages. however, the physiological consequences for the shrew's metabolism remain poorly understood. in keeping with the energetic limi ...	2017	28546508
mercury in soil, earthworms and organs of voles myodes glareolus and shrew sorex araneus in the vicinity of an industrial complex in northwest russia (cherepovets).	the characteristic properties of uptake and distribution of mercury in terrestrial ecosystems have received much lesser attention compared to aquatic particularly in russia. terrestrial ecosystems adjacent to large industrial manufactures-potential sources of mercury inflow into the environment frequently remain unstudied. this is the first report on mercury (hg) levels in the basic elements of terrestrial ecosystems situated close to a large metallurgical complex.mean values of mercury concentr ...	2017	28197948
state-dependent foraging: lactating voles adjust their foraging behavior according to the presence of a potential nest predator and season.	parental care often produces a trade-off between meeting nutritional demands of offspring and the duties of offspring protection, especially in altricial species. parents have to leave their young unattended for foraging trips, during which nestlings are exposed to predators. we investigated how rodent mothers of altricial young respond to risk of nest predation in their foraging decisions. we studied foraging behavior of lactating bank voles (myodes glareolus) exposed to a nest predator, the co ...	2017	25926712
[intestinal microflora of sorex araneus araneus l. and clethrionomys glareolus glareolus schreb. in nature conditions. iii. seasonal variations].		2017	14460562
[intestinal microflora of sorex araneus araneus l. and clethrionomys glareolus glareolus schreb. in natural conditions. ii. general characteristics of separate strains].		2017	14460561
[intestinal microflora of sorex araneus araneus l. and clethrionomys glareolus glareolus schreb. in natural conditions. i. quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the intestinal microflora].		2017	14460560
novel polyomaviruses in shrews (soricidae) with close similarity to human polyomavirus 12.	shrews (family soricidae) have already been reported to host microorganisms pathogenic for humans. in an effort to search for additional infectious agents with zoonotic potential, we detected polyomaviruses (pyvs) in common shrew, crowned shrew, and pygmy shrew (sorex araneus, s. coronatus and s. minutus). from these, 11 full circular genomes were determined. phylogenetic analysis based on large t protein sequences showed that these novel pyvs form a separate clade within the genus alphapolyomav ...	2017	29095685
evaluation of the physiological activity of venom from the eurasian water shrewneomys fodiens.	animal toxins can have medical and therapeutic applications. principally, toxins produced by insects, arachnids, snakes and frogs have been characterized. venomous mammals are rare, and their venoms have not been comprehensively investigated. among shrews, only the venom ofblarina brevicaudahas been analysed so far, and blarina toxin has been proven to be its main toxic component. it is assumed thatneomys fodiensemploys its venom to hunt larger prey. however, the toxic profile, properties and mo ...	2017	29026428
endemic chromosome races of the common shrew sorex araneus l. (insectivora, mammalia) and the possible preservation of refugia in the late valdai glaciation area.		2017	18047030
isolation effect in narrow hybrid zones of sorex araneus chromosome races.		2017	21369902
frequency of meiotic recombination in g and r chromosome bands of the common shrew (sorex araneus).		2017	20711874
hybrid origin of karyotypic variation in the common shrew, sorex araneus (mammalia), from the dnieper river basin.		2017	20170065
assortative mating in the hybrid zones of the common shrew (sorex araneus mammalia) chromosome race west dvina.		2017	23975460
importance of olfactory communication in the spiral search strategy of the common shrew sorex araneus l.		2017	23292472
the genetic structure of an isolated population of the common shrew sorex araneus l. (mammalia) as determined from microsatellite variation.		2017	23129278
the enzootic life-cycle of borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne rickettsiae: an epidemiological study on wild-living small mammals and their ticks from saxony, germany.	borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and rickettsiae of the spotted fever group are zoonotic tick-borne pathogens. while small mammals are confirmed reservoirs for certain borrelia spp., little is known about the reservoirs for tick-borne rickettsiae. between 2012 and 2014, ticks were collected from the vegetation and small mammals which were trapped in saxony, germany. dna extracted from ticks and the small mammals' skin was analyzed for the presence of rickettsia spp. and b. burgdorferi (s.l.) by ...	2017	28285593
leptospira spp. in small mammals from areas with low and high human hantavirus incidences in south-west germany.	leptospirosis is caused by leptospira spp. and is considered the most widespread zoonotic disease worldwide. it mimics nephropathia epidemica in humans, a disease mainly caused by puumala hantavirus (puuv). small mammals are reservoirs for leptospira spp. and puuv. seewis virus (swsv) is a shrew-borne hantavirus with unknown pathogenicity. the objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence for leptospira spp. and the frequency of leptospira-hantavirus co-infections in small mammals colle ...	2017	28332927
evolution and postglacial colonization of seewis hantavirus with sorex araneus in finland.	hantaviruses have co-existed with their hosts for millions of years. seewis virus (swsv), a soricomorph-borne hantavirus, is widespread in eurasia, ranging from central siberia to western europe. to gain insight into the phylogeography and evolutionary history of swsv in finland, lung tissue samples of 225 common shrews (sorex araneus) trapped from different parts of finland were screened for the presence of swsv rna. forty-two of the samples were positive. partial small (s), medium (m) and larg ...	2018	29133028
cognitive skills of common shrews (sorex araneus) vary with seasonal changes in skull size and brain mass.	in a rare phenomenon, shrews and a few other species cope with seasonal environments by reducing and regrowing brain size, potentially at the cost of changes in cognitive abilities. here, we confirm an extensive seasonal shrinkage (21.4%) and regrowth (17.0%) of brain mass in winter and spring, respectively, in the common shrew (sorex araneusl.) in southern germany. in a spatial learning task experiment, individuals with reduced winter brain size covered larger distances to find food, compared w ...	2018	29170257
leptospira genomospecies and sequence type prevalence in small mammal populations in germany.	leptospirosis is a worldwide emerging infectious disease caused by zoonotic bacteria of the genus leptospira. numerous mammals, including domestic and companion animals, can be infected by leptospira spp., but rodents and other small mammals are considered the main reservoir. the annual number of recorded human leptospirosis cases in germany (2001-2016) was 25-166. field fever outbreaks in strawberry pickers, due to infection with leptospira kirschneri serovar grippotyphosa, were reported in 200 ...	2018	29470107
new records for anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in small mammal species.	tick-borne diseases pose a major threat in public health. the epidemiological dynamics of these diseases depends on the tick vector species and their hosts, as well as the geographical distribution and ecology of both. among many possible hosts for ticks, small mammals have a major role in the development of immature stages of several tick species. small mammals are also important reservoir hosts for several pathogenic agents and possible reservoirs for anaplasma phagocytophilum. in this context ...	2018	29558990
first detection of rickettsia helvetica in small mammals in lithuania.	a total of 489 small mammals belonging to seven species captured in lithuania during 2013-2014 were investigated for rickettsia pathogens. the overall prevalence of rickettsia spp. was 27.6%, with a higher prevalence detected in micromys minutus (45.9%), followed by apodemus flavicollis (29.4%), sorex araneus (25%) and myodes glareolus (23.7%). sequence analysis of the glta gene and the 17 kda protein coding gene revealed the presence rickettsia helvetica. this study demonstrates not only the fi ...	2018	29556404
the content of dioxins and furans in soils, bottom sediments of water bodies, and tissues of small mammals near the landfill site with municipal solid wastes (moscow, russia).	for the first time, the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (pcdd/fs) were characterized in the tissues of wild small mammals living in contaminated sites near a municipal solid waste landfill (moscow, russia). the ural field mice sylvaemus uralensis, the bank voles clethrionomys glareolus, and the common shrews sorex araneus were trapped at 1- and 5-km distances from the landfield "salariyevo." high-resolution chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure the le ...	2018	30121772
profound seasonal changes in brain size and architecture in the common shrew.	the seasonal changes in brain size of some shrews represent the most drastic reversible transformation in the mammalian central nervous system known to date. brain mass decreases 10-26% from summer to winter and regrows 9-16% in spring, but the underlying structural changes at the cellular level are not yet understood. here, we describe the volumetric differences in brain structures between seasons and sexes of the common shrew (sorex araneus) in detail, confirming that changes in different brai ...	2018	29663134
small terrestrial mammals of albania: distribution and diversity (mammalia, eulipotyphla, rodentia).	in this paper new records are reported for 23 species of small terrestrial mammals (stm) of albania collected during the field work campaigns organised in the framework of the project "strengthening capacity in national nature protection - preparation for natura 2000 network" (natural) in albania during the summer and autumn of 2016 and 2017 data on small mammals were primarily collected through sherman live-trapping campaigns in six high priority protected areas of albania: korab-koritnik, bred ...	2018	29670434
distantly related rotaviruses in common shrews, germany, 2004-2014.	we screened samples from common shrews (sorex araneus) collected in germany during 2004-2014 and identified 3 genetically divergent rotaviruses. virus protein 6 sequence similarities to prototype rotaviruses were low (64.5% rotavirus a, 50.1% rotavirus c [tentative species k], 48.2% rotavirus h [tentative species l]). shrew-associated rotaviruses might have zoonotic potential.	2019	31742508
highly divergent genetic variants of soricid-borne altai virus (hantaviridae) in eurasia suggest ancient host-switching events.	with the recent discovery of genetically distinct hantaviruses (family hantaviridae) in shrews (order eulipotyphla, family soricidae), the once-conventional view that rodents (order rodentia) served as the primordial reservoir hosts now appears improbable. the newly identified soricid-borne hantaviruses generally demonstrate well-resolved lineages organized according to host taxa and geographic origin. however, beginning in 2007, we detected sequences that did not conform to the prototypic hanta ...	2019	31540127
horizontal transfer of a retrotransposon between parasitic nematodes and the common shrew.	as the genomes of more metazoan species are sequenced, reports of horizontal transposon transfers (htt) have increased. our understanding of the mechanisms of such events is at an early stage. the close physical relationship between a parasite and its host could facilitate horizontal transfer. to date, two studies have identified horizontal transfer of rtes, a class of retrotransposable elements, involving parasites: ticks might act as vector for bovb between ruminants and squamates, and avirte ...	2019	31160924
the prevalence of pathogenic forms of leptospira in natural populations of small wild mammals in serbia.	the greatest epidemiological significance of leptospirosis in europe comes from the fact that it is the most widespread zoonosis in the world. however, epizootiological data, especially information on maintenance hosts such as small wild mammals, are largely missing. to fill this gap in data in serbia, we used rt-pcr for the detection of pathogenic leptospira species and analysed 107 animals belonging to six species of small wild mammals (apodemus agrarius, apodemus flavicollis, microtus arvalis ...	2019	31549550
exposure of non-target small mammals to anticoagulant rodenticide during chemical rodent control operations.	the extensive use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ars) results in widespread unintentional exposure of non-target rodents and secondary poisoning of predators despite regulatory measures to manage and reduce exposure risk. to elucidate on the potential vectoring of ars into surrounding habitats by non-target small mammals, we determined bromadiolone prevalence and concentrations in rodents and shrews near bait boxes during an experimental application of the poison for 2 weeks. overall, bromadiolo ...	2019	30617892
demodex foveolator (acariformes: demodecidae) from crocidura suaveolens (soricomorpha: soricidae) – the second observation worldwide, and a checklist of the demodecid mites of soricomorphs	thus far, only six species of parasitic mites of the demodecidae family have been recorded in hosts from the soricomorpha: two from the common shrew (sorex araneus), two from the mediterranean water shrew (neomys anomalus), one from the lesser white-toothed shrew (crocidura suaveolens) and one from the european mole (talpa europaea). the present study describes the identification of demodex foveolator in c. suaveolens from the area of poland (the wielkopolska region). this is only the second rec ...	2019	32191421
colonization and pathology of borrelia afzelii in its natural hosts.	studies of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in laboratory mice and humans have shown that spirochaetes disseminate from the site of infection (skin) to internal tissues, and cause various pathological effects. however, less is known about colonization and pathology of lyme borreliosis spirochaetes in their natural hosts. in the present study, we assessed the colonization and manifestations during b. afzelii infection in reservoir hosts (yellow-necked mouse, apodemus flavicollis; bank vole, myodes ...	2019	31005618
the mouse bile duct tapeworm, hymenolepis microstoma in free-living small mammals in slovakia: occurrence and genetic analysis.	the mouse bile duct tapeworm hymenolepis microstoma, is a potentially zoonotic species with a wide variety of reported definitive hosts of rodent genera. in the present study the occurrence of h. microstoma in free-living small mammals in selected areas of slovakia and the retrospective analysis of epidemiological data published in slovakia were performed. hymenolepis microstoma was detected in two animal species, the common shrew (sorex araneus) and the european hamster (cricetus cricetus) of 1 ...	2020	32518488
first data on the contact zone and hybridization between the cryptic species of shrews sorex araneus and s. satunini (eulipotyphla, mammalia).	for the first time, based on sequence variation of microsatellite loci and the mtdna cytb gene fragment, population genetic structure of the common shrew and caucasian shrew in their contact zone was investigated. it was demonstrated that, although there was no complete reproductive isolation between the species under consideration, the gene flow was considerably limited. these data testify to the established reliable reproductive barriers between the common shrew and caucasian shrew.	2020	33083884
intraspecific variation of body size in fleas: effects of host sex and flea phenology.	we investigated the effects of host sex and flea phenology (estimated as periods of high versus low abundance) on individual body size in four fleas of small mammals. amalaraeus penicilliger and ctenophthalmus uncinatus are ectoparasites of the bank vole myodes glareolus, whereas doratopsylla dasycnema and palaeopsylla soricis are ectoparasites of the common shrew sorex araneus. we found significant effects of host sex and phenology on the body size of all flea species, although there was no gen ...	2020	32888066
notable homologous variation in chromosomal races of the common shrew.	this paper is a review of the rare phenomenon of chromosome intraspecies variation manifested in monobrachial homology series in the comprehensively investigated karyotype of the common shrew sorex araneus linnaeus, 1758 (eulipotyphla, mammalia). the detailed dataset on the account of this mammalian species was drawn from the recently published monograph by searle et al. (2019) "shrews, chromosomes and speciation". the parallels to the law of homologous series in variation by nikolai vavilov are ...	2020	32754304
evidence of echolocation in the common shrew from molecular convergence with other echolocating mammals.	along with sophisticated echolocation found in bats and toothed whales, the common shrew (sorex araneus) was confirmed to possess echolocation ability based on behavioral and experimental evidence such as high-frequency twittering and close-range spatial orientation. however, whether echolocation in the common shrew is convergent with bats and dolphins at the molecular level remains poorly understood. in this study, we gathered the coding region sequences of 11 hearing-related genes from genome ...	2020	32494297
metabolic rate in common shrews is unaffected by temperature, leading to lower energetic costs through seasonal size reduction.	small endothermic mammals have high metabolisms, particularly at cold temperatures. in the light of this, some species have evolved a seemingly illogical strategy: they reduce the size of the brain and several organs to become even smaller in winter. to test how this morphological strategy affects energy consumption across seasonally shifting ambient temperatures, we measured oxygen consumption and behaviour in the three seasonal phenotypes of the common shrew (sorex araneus), which differ in si ...	2020	32431881
molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of orthohantaviruses in small mammals in western poland.	orthohantaviruses are negative-sense, single-stranded rna viruses harbored by multiple small mammals. dobrava-belgrade virus (dobv) and puumala virus (puuv) cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (hfrs) in europe. in poland, serological surveys have demonstrated antibodies against dobv and puuv in patients with hfrs. molecular evidence of dobv and puuv has been found in apodemus flavicollis and myodes glareolus, respectively, in southeastern poland, and seewis virus (swsv) has been reported ...	2020	32314690
seewis hantavirus in common shrew (sorex araneus) in sweden.	rodent borne hantaviruses are emerging viruses infecting humans through inhalation. they cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hemorrhagic cardiopulmonary syndrome. recently, hantaviruses have been detected in other small mammals such as soricomorpha (shrews, moles) and chiroptera (bats), suggested as reservoirs for potential pandemic viruses and to play a role in the evolution of hantaviruses. it is important to study the global virome in different reservoirs, therefore our aim was to ...	2020	33375950
a putative novel strain of ehrlichia infecting amblyomma tigrinum associated with pampas fox (lycalopex gymnocercus) in esteros del iberá ecoregion, argentina.	the current work evaluated road-killed pampas foxes (lycalopex gymnocercus) and their ticks for the presence of vector-borne agents in the ecoregion esteros del iberá in northeastern argentina. spleen, lung and blood samples and amblyomma tigrinum adult ticks collected from the foxes were tested by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assays targeting bacteria of the genera ehrlichia, anaplasma, and rickettsia. all foxes tested were negative for the three genera, but evidence of ehrlichia and rickett ...	2020	31711730
coxiella burnetii and francisella tularensis in wild small mammals from the czech republic.	wild rodents are an important source of the tick-borne pathogens coxiella burnetii and francisella tularensis. the aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of antibodies and possible coexistence of these pathogens in wild small mammals from three localities in the czech republic. a total of 614 wild small mammals (324 apodemus flavicollis, 145 myodes glareolus, 50 sorex araneus, 48 a. sylvaticus, 40 a. agrarius, six microtus arvalis and one talpa europaea) were trapped between 2012 and 2015 ...	2020	31848075
geographic distribution and phylogeny of soricine shrew-borne seewis virus and altai virus in russia.	the discovery of genetically distinct hantaviruses (family hantaviridae) in multiple species of shrews, moles and bats has revealed a complex evolutionary history involving cross-species transmission. seewis virus (swsv) is widely distributed throughout the geographic ranges of its soricid hosts, including the eurasian common shrew (sorex araneus), tundra shrew (sorex tundrensis) and siberian large-toothed shrew (sorex daphaenodon), suggesting host sharing. in addition, genetic variants of swsv, ...	2021	34372492