Publications

TitleAbstractYear
Filter
PMID(sorted ascending)
Filter
isolation of a novel campylobacter jejuni clone associated with the bank vole, myodes glareolus.campylobacter jejuni can be isolated from different animal hosts. various studies have used multilocus sequence typing to look for associations between particular clones of c. jejuni and specific hosts. here, we describe the isolation of a novel clone (sequence type 3704 [st-3704]) of c. jejuni associated with the bank vole (myodes glareolus).201020851991
factors affecting patterns of tick parasitism on forest rodents in tick-borne encephalitis risk areas, germany.identifying factors affecting individual vector burdens is essential for understanding infectious disease systems. drawing upon data of a rodent monitoring programme conducted in nine different forest patches in southern hesse, germany, we developed models which predict tick (ixodes spp. and dermacentor spp.) burdens on two rodent species apodemus flavicollis and myodes glareolus. models for the two rodent species were broadly similar but differed in some aspects. patterns of ixodes spp. burdens ...201020878183
social cues of sperm competition influence accessory reproductive gland size in a promiscuous mammal.theory predicts that males should increase overall investment in ejaculate expenditure with increasing levels of sperm competition. since ejaculate production is costly, we may expect males to tailor their reproductive investment according to anticipated levels of sperm competition. here, we investigate plasticity in ejaculate investment in response to cues of population average levels of sperm competition in a promiscuous mammal, the bank vole (myodes glareolus). we manipulated the social exper ...201120880887
ljungan virus: a commentary on its association with fetal and infant morbidity and mortality in animals and humans.epidemiologic and experimental data support the notion that ljungan virus (lv), endemic in some rodent populations in sweden, denmark, and the united states, can cause morbidity and mortality in animals and humans. lv infection can cause type i diabetes mellitus, myocarditis, and encephalitis in bank voles and experimental mice, and lemmings. mouse dams infected with lv experience high rates of stillbirth that may persist across generations, and their fetuses may develop cranial, brain, and limb ...201020890937
does personality in small rodents vary depending on population density?personality means an individual's unique way of behaving and reacting to the environment. it is a stable and heritable trait, which is expressed consistently in different situations. the aim of our study was to develop novel tests to depict the personality structure of the bank vole myodes glareolus, and to determine if the phase of the population cycle, i.e. population density, affects personality. we focused on some central aspects of bank vole behaviour: mobility, risk taking, exploratory beh ...201120976607
yellow-necked mice (apodemus flavicollis) and bank voles (myodes glareolus) as zoomonitors of environmental contamination at a polluted area in slovakia.free-living wild rodents are often used as zoomonitors of environmental contamination. in the present study, accumulation of cadmium (cd), copper (cu), iron (fe), and zinc (zn) in critical organs of yellow-necked mice (apodemus flavicollis) and bank voles (myodes glareolus) trapped in a polluted area in nováky, slovakia was investigated.201021054852
morphometrics as an insight into processes beyond tooth shape variation in a bank vole population.phenotype variation is a key feature in evolution, being produced by development and the target of the screening by selection. we focus here on a variable morphological feature: the third upper molar (um3) of the bank vole, aiming at identifying the sources of this variation. size and shape of the um3 occlusal surface was quantified in successive samples of a bank vole population. the first source of variation was the season of trapping, due to differences in the age structure of the population ...201021085584
temporal variation in individual factors associated with hantavirus infection in bank voles during an epizootic: implications for puumala virus transmission dynamics.abstract puumala virus (puuv), the causal agent of nephropathia epidemica in humans, is one of the many hantaviruses included in the list of emerging pathogens. hantavirus infection is not distributed evenly among puuv reservoir hosts (i.e., bank voles [myodes glareolus]). besides environmental factors and local population features, individual characteristics play an important role in vole puuv infection risk. identifying the relative importance of these individual characteristics can provide cr ...201021142469
tick-borne encephalitis virus in wild rodents in winter, finland, 2008-2009.rodents might maintain tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) in nature through latent persistent infections. during 2 subsequent winters, 2008 and 2009, in finland, we detected rna of european and siberian subtypes of tbev in microtus agrestis and myodes glareolus voles, respectively. persistence in rodent reservoirs may contribute to virus overwintering.201121192857
an efficient in vivo method for the isolation of puumala virus in syrian hamsters and the characterization of the isolates from russia.puumala virus (puuv) and other arvicolinae-borne hantaviruses are difficult to cultivate in cell culture. to isolate these hantaviruses efficiently, hantavirus nucleocapsid protein (np)-positive but seronegative wild rodents were selected by np-detection elisa. three of 68 myodes glareolus captured in samara, russia, were np-positive and seronegative. syrian hamsters were inoculated with lung homogenates from np-positive rodents for virus propagation. virus isolation in vitro was carried out by ...201021192975
the ecology of territoriality in bank voles. 199121232488
the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant escherichia coli in sympatric wild rodents varies by season and host.aims:  to investigate the prevalence and temporal patterns of antimicrobial resistance in wild rodents with no apparent exposure to antimicrobials. methods and results:  two sympatric populations of bank voles and wood mice were trapped and individually monitored over a 2- year period for faecal carriage of antimicrobial-resistant escherichia coli. high prevalences of ampicillin-, chloramphenicol-, tetracycline- and trimethoprim-resistant e. coli were observed. a markedly higher prevalence of an ...201121255210
concomitant influence of helminth infection and landscape on the distribution of puumala hantavirus in its reservoir, myodes glareolus.puumala virus, the agent of nephropathia epidemica (ne), is the most prevalent hantavirus in europe. the risk for human infection seems to be strongly correlated with the prevalence of puumala virus (puuv) in populations of its reservoir host species, the bank vole myodes glareolus. in humans, the infection risks of major viral diseases are affected by the presence of helminth infections. we therefore proposed to analyse the influence of both helminth community and landscape on the prevalence of ...201121303497
a trade-off between current and future sex allocation revealed by maternal energy budget in a small mammal.sex-allocation theories generally assume differential fitness costs of raising sons and daughters. yet, experimental confirmation of such costs is scarce and potential mechanisms are rarely addressed. while the most universal measure of physiological costs is energy expenditure, only one study has related the maternal energy budget to experimentally controlled offspring sex. here, we experimentally test this in the bank vole (myodes glareolus) by simultaneously manipulating the litter's size and ...201121325329
cyclic hantavirus epidemics in humans--predicted by rodent host dynamics.wildlife-originated zoonotic diseases are a major contributor to emerging infectious diseases. hantaviruses cause thousands of human disease cases annually worldwide, and understanding and predicting human hantavirus epidemics still poses unsolved challenges. here we studied the three-level relationships between the human disease nephropathia epidemica (ne), its etiological agent puumala hantavirus (puuv) and the rodent host of the virus, the bank vole (myodes glareolus). a large and long-term d ...200921352757
genomic variations define divergence of water/wildlife-associated campylobacter jejuni niche specialists from common clonal complexes.although the major food-borne pathogen campylobacter jejuni has been isolated from diverse animal, human and environmental sources, our knowledge of genomic diversity in c. jejuni is based exclusively on human or human food-chain-associated isolates. studies employing multilocus sequence typing have indicated that some clonal complexes are more commonly associated with particular sources. using comparative genomic hybridization on a collection of 80 isolates representing diverse sources and clon ...201121418497
do multiple herbivores maintain chemical diversity of scots pine monoterpenes?a central issue in our understanding of the evolution of the diversity of plant secondary metabolites (psms) is whether or not compounds are functional, conferring an advantage to the plant, or non-functional. we examine the hypothesis that the diversity of monoterpene psms within a plant species (scots pine pinus sylvestris) may be explained by different compounds acting as defences against high-impact herbivores operating at different life stages. we also hypothesize that pairwise coevolution, ...201121444308
rodents as sentinels for the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus.abstract introduction: tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) causes one of the most important flavivirus infections of the central nervous system, affecting humans in europe and asia. it is mainly transmitted by the bite of an infected tick and circulates among them and their vertebrate hosts. until now, tbe risk analysis in germany has been based on the incidence of human cases. because of an increasing vaccination rate, this approach might be misleading, especially in regions of low virus circu ...201121548766
a large panel of novel microsatellite markers for the bank vole (myodes glareolus).we describe a set of 66 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci isolated from the bank vole, myodes (clethrionomys) glareolus. these microsatellites were characterized for a long-term study on periodically fluctuating density of the bank vole population in central finland. we detected six to 38 alleles per locus in the population sampled at two different density phases, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosities varied between 0.17 and 1.00, and between 0.72 and 0.95, respectively. ...200821586003
non-invasive genetic identification of small mammal species using real-time polymerase chain reaction.dna identification of non-invasive samples is a potentially useful tool for monitoring small mammal species. here we describe a novel method for identifying five small mammal species: wood mouse, bank vole, common shrew, pygmy shrew and water shrew. species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction primers were designed to amplify fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from hair and scat samples. we also amplified nuclear dna from scats, demonstrating their potential as a source of ...200821586017
breeding state and season affect interspecific interaction types: indirect resource competition and direct interference.indirect resource competition and interference are widely occurring mechanisms of interspecific interactions. we have studied the seasonal expression of these two interaction types within a two-species, boreal small mammal system. seasons differ by resource availability, individual breeding state and intraspecific social system. live-trapping methods were used to monitor space use and reproduction in 14 experimental populations of bank voles myodes glareolus in large outdoor enclosures with and ...201121597944
phylogenetic analysis of puumala virus subtype bavaria, characterization and diagnostic use of its recombinant nucleocapsid protein.puumala virus (puuv) is the predominant hantavirus species in germany causing large numbers of mild to moderate cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (hfrs). during an outbreak in south-east germany in 2004 a novel puuv subtype designated bavaria was identified as the causative agent of hfrs in humans [1]. here we present a molecular characterization of this puuv strain by investigating novel partial and almost entire nucleocapsid (n) protein-encoding small (s-) segment sequences and p ...201121598005
seroprevalence study in forestry workers of a non-endemic region in eastern germany reveals infections by tula and dobrava-belgrade hantaviruses.highly endemic and outbreak regions for human hantavirus infections are located in the southern, southeastern, and western parts of germany. the dominant hantavirus is the bank vole transmitted puumala virus (puuv). in the eastern part of germany, previous investigations revealed tula virus (tulv) and dobrava-belgrade virus (dobv) infections in the respective rodent reservoirs. here, we describe a seroprevalence study in forestry workers from brandenburg, eastern germany, using igg elisa and imm ...201121611907
genetic variability of anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodes persulcatus ticks and small mammals in the asian part of russia.abstract the specimens of 3552 questing adult ixodes persulcatus and 1698 blood/tissue samples of small mammals collected in ural, siberia, and far east of russia were assayed for the presence of anaplasma phagocytophilum by nested pcr based on the 16s rrna gene. totally, a. phagocytophilum was detected in 112 tick and 88 mammalian samples. the nucleotide sequences of the 16s rrna gene and groesl operon (1244-1295 bp) were determined for a. phagocytophilum samples from 65 ticks and 25 small mamm ...201121612528
[diversity of blood parasites of genus bartonella in wild rodents in mazury lakes district].this long-term study of genetic diversity and epidemiology of the alpha-proteobacterium bartonella in wild rodents from forest (myodes glareolus and apodemus flavicollis) and abandoned farmland (microtus arvalis and mi. oeconomus) was carried out in the years 2007-2009 in the mazury lakes district. in total, 1193 rodents were marked and recaptured, and 2226 blood samples were collected. the highest bartonella prevalence was found in a. flavicollis (43.5%), the lowest in mi. oeconomus (9.4%), whi ...201121638804
a simple, versatile and sensitive cell-based assay for prions from various species.detection and quantification of prion infectivity is a crucial step for various fundamental and applied aspects of prion research. identification of cell lines highly sensitive to prion infection led to the development of cell-based titration procedures aiming at replacing animal bioassays, usually performed in mice or hamsters. however, most of these cell lines are only permissive to mouse-adapted prions strains and do not allow titration of prions from other species. in this study, we show tha ...201121655184
spatially explicit analysis of metal transfer to biota: influence of soil contamination and landscape.concepts and developments for a new field in ecotoxicology, referred to as "landscape ecotoxicology," were proposed in the 1990s; however, to date, few studies have been developed in this emergent field. in fact, there is a strong interest in developing this area, both for renewing the concepts and tools used in ecotoxicology as well as for responding to practical issues, such as risk assessment. the aim of this study was to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of metal bioaccumulation in anima ...201121655187
[functional motor asymmetry in three species of mouse rodents from natural populations].motor asymmetry of paws was studied in three species of mouse rodents (apodemus agrarius, clethrionomys glareolus, clethrionomys rutilus) from natural populations. the prevalence of right-hand asymmetry was revealed in both males and females of all studied species. the spatial and temporal variability of asymmetry structures was shown. the increased number of left-handed rodents was observed in unfavorable habitats. a possible adaptive role of the functional motor asymmetry exemplified by small ...201121675226
introduced siberian chipmunks (tamias sibiricus barberi) harbor more-diverse borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies than native bank voles (myodes glareolus).little attention has been given in scientific literature to how introduced species may act as a new host for native infectious agents and modify the epidemiology of a disease. in this study, we investigated whether an introduced species, the siberian chipmunk (tamias sibiricus barberi), was a potentially new reservoir host for borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the causative agent of lyme disease. first, we ascertained whether chipmunks were infected by all of the b. burgdorferi sensu lato genospe ...201121705536
loss of density-dependence and incomplete control by dominant breeders in a territorial species with density outbreaks.a territory as a prerequisite for breeding limits the maximum number of breeders in a given area, and thus lowers the proportion of breeders if population size increases. however, some territorially breeding animals can have dramatic density fluctuations and little is known about the change from density-dependent processes to density-independence of breeding during a population increase or an outbreak. we suggest that territoriality, breeding suppression and its break-down can be understood with ...201121726437
a new permanent cell line derived from the bank vole (myodes glareolus) as cell culture model for zoonotic viruses.abstract:201121729307
molecular detection of murine herpesvirus 68 in ticks feeding on free-living reptiles.the mhv-68 (designed as murid herpesvirus 4 (muhv 4) strain 68) isolated from two rodents, myodes glareolus and apodemus flavicollis, is considered as a natural pathogen of free-living murid rodents. recently, the detection of mhv antibodies in the blood of animals living in the same biotope as mhv-infected mice has suggested that ticks may have a role in the transmission of this pathogen. ixodes ricinus is one the most abundant tick species in europe known to transmit multiple pathogens causing ...201121732020
cadmium accumulation in small mammals: species traits, soil properties, and spatial habitat use.in this study, the impact of species-specific spatial habitat use, diet preferences, and soil concentrations and properties on the accumulation of cadmium in small mammals was investigated. the results show that for the wood mouse (apodemus sylvaticus), a mobile species with a large range in diet composition, accumulation of cadmium was not related to local soil concentrations or soil properties, but to diet preferences. for the common vole (microtus arvalis), a nonmobile, specific feeding speci ...201121770371
xenobiotic metabolism of bank vole (myodes glareolus) exposed to pcdds.previous studies in bank vole (myodes glareolus) and field vole (microtus agrestis) living at the old sawmill area contaminated by chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (pcdd/fs) showed that these two relatively close species have a significant difference in their body burden of pcdd/fs, bank voles having significantly higher concentrations. the aim of this study was to clarify more comprehensively the basic xenobiotic metabolism in wild bank voles and examine whether pcdd exposure would aff ...201021787577
landscape genetics highlights the role of bank vole metapopulation dynamics in the epidemiology of puumala hantavirus.rodent host dynamics and dispersal are thought to be critical for hantavirus epidemiology as they determine pathogen persistence and transmission within and between host populations. we used landscape genetics to investigate how the population dynamics of the bank vole myodes glareolus, the host of puumala hantavirus (puuv), vary with forest fragmentation and influence puuv epidemiology. we sampled vole populations within the ardennes, a french puuv endemic area. we inferred demographic features ...201121819469
diabetes in danish bank voles (m. glareolus): survivorship, influence on weight, and evaluation of polydipsia as a screening tool for hyperglycaemia.previous studies have concluded that the development of polydipsia (pd, a daily water intake ôëñ21 ml) among captive danish bank voles, is associated with the development of a type 1 diabetes (t1d), based on findings of hyperglycaemia, glucosuria, ketonuria/-emia, lipemia, destroyed beta cells, and presence of autoantibodies against gad65, ia-2, and insulin.201121829666
intracerebral borna disease virus infection of bank voles leading to peripheral spread and reverse transcription of viral rna.bornaviruses, which chronically infect many species, can cause severe neurological diseases in some animal species; their association with human neuropsychiatric disorders is, however, debatable. the epidemiology of borna disease virus (bdv), as for other members of the family bornaviridae, is largely unknown, although evidence exists for a reservoir in small mammals, for example bank voles (myodes glareolus). in addition to the current exogenous infections and despite the fact that bornaviruses ...201121935357
sexual antagonism for testosterone maintains multiple mating behaviour.1. the persistence of multiple mating remains one of the fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. in theory, multiple mating is predicted to improve female fitness cumulatively through direct and/or genetic benefits. however, intra-locus sexual conflicts may potentially constrain or even eliminate these benefits owing to the gender load imposed by sexually antagonistic selection. 2. here, we tested whether sexually antagonistic selection can maintain the variance in multiple mating behavio ...201221950272
patterns of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in rodents in slovenia.abstract tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) is the most important causative agent of arboviral infection in europe, causing neurologic symptoms. the incidence of the disease has greatly increased over the past decades, and in the meantime, some changes in spatial distribution of tbe cases have been observed. therefore, it is important to recognize the distribution of endemic areas, to use preventive measures successfully. in this study, rodents from all over slovenia were evaluated as suitab ...201122022821
negative frequency-dependent selection of sexually antagonistic alleles in myodes glareolus.sexually antagonistic genetic variation, where optimal values of traits are sex-dependent, is known to slow the loss of genetic variance associated with directional selection on fitness-related traits. however, sexual antagonism alone is not sufficient to maintain variation indefinitely. selection of rare forms within the sexes can help to conserve genotypic diversity. we combined theoretical models and a field experiment with myodes glareolus to show that negative frequency-dependent selection ...201122096197
[blood system peculiarities in the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus) under chronic environmental pollution].the parameters of peripheral blood and hemopoietic organs in mature and immature bank voles inhabiting a chemically polluted area were studied. variability of the blood system parameters depending on the level of toxic load and the animals' reproductive status was determined. alteration of the cell composition of erythrocytes and leucocytes, the structure of erythrocytes, and the hemoglobin fractions and leucocyte functions describe the adaptive response to the factors of a changed environment m ...201622117428
combined effect of dietary cadmium and benzo(a)pyrene on metallothionein induction and apoptosis in the liver and kidneys of bank voles.bank voles free living in a contaminated environment have been shown to be more sensitive to cadmium (cd) toxicity than the rodents exposed to cd under laboratory conditions. the objective of this study was to find out whether benzo(a)pyrene (bap), a common environmental co-contaminant, increases cd toxicity through inhibition of metallothionein (mt) synthesis-a low molecular weight protein that is considered to be primary intracellular component of the protective mechanism. for 6 weeks, the fem ...201222124863
Factors Regulating Pluripotency and Differentiation in Early Mammalian Embryos and Embryo-derived Stem Cells.Mammalian development relies on the cellular proliferation and precisely orchestrated differentiation processes. In preimplantation embryos preservation of the pluripotent state and timely onset of differentiation are secured by specific mechanisms involving such factors as OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, or SALL4. The pluripotency-sustaining cellular machinery is operational not only in the cells of preimplantation embryos but also in embryo-derived embryonic stem cells and epiblast stem cells. However, cer ...201122127235
[Southern taiga combined natural foci of spirochetoses].Study of possibility of existence of combined natural foci of spirochetoses (ixodes tick borrelioses and leptospiroses) in typical taiga forests, and their etiologic and reservoir-host structure.201122145345
introgression of mitochondrial dna among myodes voles: consequences for energetics?introgression of mitochondrial dna (mtdna) is among the most frequently described cases of reticulate evolution. the tendency of mtdna to cross interspecific barriers is somewhat counter-intuitive considering the key function of enzymes that it encodes in the oxidative-phosphorylation process, which could give rise to hybrid dysfunction. how mtdna reticulation affects the evolution of metabolic functions is, however, uncertain. here we investigated how morpho-physiological traits vary in natural ...201122151479
Co-circulation of two Puumala hantavirus lineages in Latvia: A russian lineage described previously and a novel Latvian lineage.Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) causes a mild form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Europe. Seven genetic lineages of PUUV have thus far been recorded, which exhibit geographic structure within the distribution of its natural host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). This study presents evidence for two distinct PUUV lineages co-circulating in Latvia: one previously described from Russia and a novel one that appears to be endemic. The Latvian lineage (LAT) is considerably divergent and sever ...201222170553
intralocus sexual conflict for fitness: sexually antagonistic alleles for testosterone.intralocus sexual conflict occurs when a trait encoded by the same genetic locus in the two sexes has different optima in males and females. such conflict is widespread across taxa, however, the shared phenotypic traits that mediate the conflict are largely unknown. we examined whether the sex hormone, testosterone (t), that controls sexual differentiation, contributes to sexually antagonistic fitness variation in the bank vole, myodes glareolus. we compared (opposite-sex) sibling reproductive f ...201222171083
guild composition and habitat use of voles in 2 forest landscapes in south-eastern norway.it is widely believed that intensive forestry has influenced small mammal population dynamics, and thereby the entire mammalian community in fennoscandian boreal forests. the nature of these impacts on the different species is subject to debate. we live-trapped voles between 2006 and 2009 in 2 commercially harvested forests in south-eastern norway. we investigated the variation in vole abundance among habitat types (e.g. mature forest and clear-cut) and the hypothesis that graminivorous species ...201122182322
life in varying environments: experimental evidence for delayed effects of juvenile environment on adult life history.1. the effects of environment experienced during early development on phenotype as an adult has started to gain vast amounts of interest in various taxa. some evidence on long-term effects of juvenile environment is available, but replicated experimental studies in wild animals are still lacking. 2. here we report the first replicated experiment in wild mammals which examines the long-term effects of juvenile and adult environments on individual fitness (reproduction, survival and health). the e ...201222191455
a model system for in vitro studies of bank vole borne viruses.the bank vole (myodes glareolus) is a common small mammal in europe and a natural host for several important emerging zoonotic viruses, e.g. puumala hantavirus (puuv) that causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (hfrs). hantaviruses are known to interfere with several signaling pathways in infected human cells, and hfrs is considered an immune-mediated disease. there is no in vitro-model available for infectious experiments in bank vole cells, nor tools for analyses of bank vole immune acti ...201122194969
significant interspecies differences in induction profiles of hepatic cyp enzymes by tcdd in bank and field voles.the gene expression and induction of cytochrome p450 (cyp)-enzymes following 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (tcdd) peroral administration was studied in livers of two wild vole species-the bank vole (myodes glareolus) and the field vole (microtus agrestis). dioxin-sensitive c57bl/6 mouse was used as a reference. doses of 0.05, 0.5, 5.0, and 50 µg/kg were applied to ascertain a dose-response relationship, and the dose of 50 µg/kg was applied to study time course for up to 96 h. the cytochrom ...201122213473
advantage of rare infanticide strategies in an invasion experiment of behavioural polymorphism.killing conspecific infants (infanticide) is among the most puzzling phenomena in nature. stable polymorphism in such behaviour could be maintained by negative frequency-dependent selection (benefit of rare types). however, it is currently unknown whether there is genetic polymorphism in infanticidal behaviour or whether infanticide may have any fitness advantages when rare. here we show genetic polymorphism in non-parental infanticide. our novel invasion experiment confirms negative frequency-d ...201222215086
multiple co-infections of rodents with hantaviruses, leptospira, and babesia in croatia.hantaviruses, leptospira spp., and babesia spp. are rodent-borne pathogens present worldwide. we studied multiple co-infections of small rodents in croatia with all three pathogens. twenty-eight apodemus flavicollis and 16 myodes glareolus were tested for the presence of hantavirus rna by real-time rt-pcr, leptospira strains by renoculture method and babesia dna by pcr. anti-hantavirus antibodies and anti-leptospira antibodies were detected by serological methods. very high infection rates with ...201222217170
impact of puumala virus infection on maturation and survival in bank voles: a capture-mark-recapture analysis.many zoonotic diseases are caused by rodent-borne viruses. major fluctuations in the transmission of these viruses have been related to large changes in reservoir host population numbers due to external factors. however, the impact of the pathogen itself on the demography of its reservoir host is often overlooked. we investigated the impact of puumala virus (puuv) on survival and reproductive maturation probability of its reservoir host, the bank vole (myodes glareolus). three years (2004-06) of ...201222247383
small mammals: paratenic hosts for species of toxocara in eastern slovakia.toxocara spp., an aetiological agent of a serious helminthozoonosis, is a common roundworm of domestic and wild carnivores worldwide. the study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of toxocara in small mammals from different localities in eastern slovakia. anti-toxocara antibodies were detected in 6.4% out of 2140 examined animals trapped in eastern slovakia. due to their high density and observed high seroprevalence of toxocariasis, apodemus agrarius, a. flavicollis, myodes glareolus and mus sp ...201322284742
[structure of the bank vole (myodes glareolus) population cycles in the center and periphery of its distribution area].the results of long-term studies of two bank vole (myodes glareolus) populations in stationary sites in the central part and periphery of its distribution area are described. four phases of a multiannual population cycle and two of its structural parts have been detected for both populations. the first part of the cycle is "determined", with the "peak" phase passing into a "depression" (population collapse). this transition is mainly "determined" by intrapopulation processes and is weakly depend ...201622292294
[evaluation of abundance of residents and immigration by irretrievable requisitioning of the bank vole (myodes glareolus schreber, 1780)].the activity of average statistical species was approximated by normal distribution. this is provided by calculation of the part of resident animals without repeated hatching, i.e., the edge effect. residence beyond the space covering 99% of species activity was considered as nonresidence. the appearance of nonresidence in general can be considered as "excursions" and "resettlement." the experiments on requisitioning of small settled animals from a preliminary marked site were carried out. it wa ...201622292295
spatio-temporal patterns of habitat use in voles and shrews modified by density, season and predators.1. although the intrinsic habitat preferences of a species can be considered to be fixed, the realized habitat use depends on the prevailing abiotic and biotic conditions. often the core habitats are occupied by dense and stable populations, while marginal habitats become occupied only at times of high density. in a community of interacting species, habitat uses of different species become inter-related, for example an increased density of a strong competitor forcing a weaker competitor to use m ...201222325037
spontaneous generation of rapidly transmissible prions in transgenic mice expressing wild-type bank vole prion protein.currently, there are no animal models of the most common human prion disorder, sporadic creutzfeldt-jakob disease (cjd), in which prions are formed spontaneously from wild-type (wt) prion protein (prp). interestingly, bank voles (bv) exhibit an unprecedented promiscuity for diverse prion isolates, arguing that bank vole prp (bvprp) may be inherently prone to adopting misfolded conformations. therefore, we constructed transgenic (tg) mice expressing wt bvprp. tg(bvprp) mice developed spontaneous ...201222331873
differences in the ecology of bartonella infections of apodemus flavicollis and myodes glareolus in a boreal forest.the epidemiology of bartonella species infecting apodemus flavicollis and myodes glareolus in a forest in eastern poland was followed for 2 years using mark-recapture. infections could be acquired in any month, but prevalence, and probability of infection, peaked in the summer. there were significant differences in the pattern of infections between the two species. both hosts were primarily infected as juveniles, but the probability of infection was highest for a. flavicollis, which, evidence su ...201222336264
woodland recovery after suppression of deer: cascade effects for small mammals, wood mice (apodemus sylvaticus) and bank voles (myodes glareolus).over the past century, increases in both density and distribution of deer species in the northern hemisphere have resulted in major changes in ground flora and undergrowth vegetation of woodland habitats, and consequentially the animal communities that inhabit them. in this study, we tested whether recovery in the vegetative habitat of a woodland due to effective deer management (from a peak of 0.4-1.5 to <0.17 deer per ha) had translated to the small mammal community as an example of a higher o ...201222347472
contrasting patterns of diversity and population differentiation at the innate immunity gene toll-like receptor 2 (tlr2) in two sympatric rodent species.comparing patterns of diversity and divergence between populations at immune genes and neutral markers can give insights into the nature and geographic scale of parasite-mediated selection. to date, studies investigating such patterns of selection in vertebrates have primarily focused on the acquired branch of the immune system, whereas it remains largely unknown how parasite-mediated selection shapes innate immune genes both within and across vertebrate populations. here, we present a study on ...201122380435
[pcr identification of dna of hosts of the taiga tick nymphs (ixodes persulcatus: ixodinae) in st. petersburg and its suburbs].pcr identification of host dna in unfed females and males of taiga tick ixodes persulcatus was performed. amplification of each sample was done using primers species-specific by 12s rdna mitochondrial gene. four species of small mammals (apodemus uralensis, clethrionomys glareolus, microtus arvalis, and sorex araneus) and two passeriform bird species (fringilla coelebs and parus major) were analysed. for one third of tick samples, hosts of previous stages were established using this method. in f ...201222384683
spermiogenesis and spermatozoon of the liver fluke mediogonimus jourdanei (microphalloidea: prosthogonimidae), a parasite of myodes glareolus (rodentia: cricetidae).spermatological characters of the liver fluke mediogonimus jourdanei mas-coma et rocamora, 1978 were studied by means of transmission and scanning electron microscopy. spermiogenesis begins with the formation of the differentiation zone containing two centrioles associated with striated rootlets and an intercentriolar body. these two centrioles originate two free flagella that undergo a 90 degrees rotation before fusing with the median cytoplasmic process. both nuclear and mitochondrial migratio ...201222439426
can number and size of offspring increase simultaneously?--a central life-history trade-off reconsidered.to maximize their fitness, parents are assumed to allocate their resources optimally between number and size of offspring. although this fundamental life-history trade-off has been subject to long standing interest, its genetic basis, especially in wild mammals, still remains unresolved. one important reason for this problem is that a large multigenerational pedigree is required to conduct a reliable analysis of this trade-off.201222462658
effects of deer density on tick infestation of rodents and the hazard of tick-borne encephalitis. i: empirical assessment.tick borne encephalitis (tbe) is endemic to eastern and central europe with broad temporal and spatial variation in infection risk. although many studies have focused on understanding the environmental and socio-economic factors affecting exposure of humans to tbe, comparatively little research has been devoted to assessing the underlying ecological mechanisms of tbe occurrence in enzootic cycles, and therefore tbe hazard. the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the main ungulate tic ...201222464896
the interrelationship of mycophagous small mammals and ectomycorrhizal fungi in primeval, disturbed and managed central european mountainous forests.small forest dwelling mammals are considered to be major consumers and vectors of hypogeous ectomycorrhizal (ecm) fungi, which have lost the ability of active spore discharge. fungal spore dispersal by mycophagy is deemed an important process involved in forest regeneration, resilience and vitality, primarily based on evidence from australia and the pacific northwestern usa, but is poorly known for central european mountainous forests thus far. small mammal mycophagy was investigated by live tra ...201222466900
serological evidence of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in rodents captured at four sites in switzerland.in a previous study, the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) in questing ixodes ricinus l. ticks and in field derived ticks that engorged on small mammals (n = 9,986) was investigated at four sites located in a tbe area in switzerland. two of these sites were already recognized as tbe foci (thun and belp) and the screening of ticks revealed the presence of tbev in ticks at a third site, kiesen, but not at the fourth one, trimstein. the aim here was to test another approach to detect ...201222493864
detection of aromatase, androgen, and estrogen receptors in bank vole spermatozoa.spermatozoa are highly specialized cells which transport a single-copy haploid genome to the site of fertilization. before this, spermatozoa undergo a series of biochemical and functional modifications. in recent years, the crucial role of androgens and estrogens in proper germ cell differentiation during spermatogenesis has been demonstrated. however, their implication in the biology of mature male gametes is still to be defined. our study provides evidence for the first time that aromatase, th ...201222494682
sperm competition roles and ejaculate investment in a promiscuous mammal.theoretical models of sperm competition predict how males should allocate sperm and seminal fluid components to ejaculates according to their mating role (dominant vs. subordinate). here, we present a detailed analysis of ejaculate expenditure according to male roles in the bank vole (myodes glareolus). sperm competition occurs regularly in this species, and dominant males typically achieve higher fertilization success than subordinates. contrary to theoretical predictions, we found that dominan ...201222515660
infection intensity and infectivity of the tick-borne pathogen borrelia afzelii.the 'trade-off' hypothesis for virulence evolution assumes that between-host transmission rate is a positive and saturating function of pathogen exploitation and virulence, but there are as yet few tests of this assumption, in particular for vector-borne pathogens. here, i show that the infectivity (probability of transmission) of the tick-borne bacterium borrelia afzelii from two of its natural rodent hosts (bank vole and yellow-necked mouse) to its main tick vector increases asymptotically wit ...201222536945
accumulation of risk elements in kidney, liver, testis, uterus and bone of free-living wild rodents from a polluted area in slovakia.free-living wild rodents are usually used as indicators of pollution, with elements being determined in either whole body or in specific organs. in the present study, the accumulation of cadmium (cd), copper (cu), iron (fe), and zinc (zn) in kidney, liver, testis, uterus and bone of yellow-necked mice (apodemus flavicollis) and bank voles (myodes glareolus) trapped in a polluted area of nováky, slovakia was investigated. yellow-necked mice and bank voles were collected using standard theriologic ...201222540640
is reproduction costly? no increase of oxidative damage in breeding bank voles.according to life-history theory, investment in reproduction is associated with costs, which should appear as decreased survival to the next reproduction or lower future reproductive success. it has been suggested that oxidative stress may be the proximate mechanism of these trade-offs. despite numerous studies of the defense against reactive oxygen species (ros) during reproduction, very little is known about the damage caused by ros to the tissues of wild breeding animals. we measured oxidativ ...201222573758
seasonality of ixodes ricinus ticks on vegetation and on rodents and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies diversity in two lyme borreliosis-endemic areas in switzerland.we compared ixodes ricinus questing density, the infestation of rodents by immature stages, and the diversity of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) in questing ticks and ticks collected from rodents in two lyme borreliosis (lb)-endemic areas in switzerland (portes-rouges [pr] and staatswald [sw]) from 2003 to 2005. there were variations in the seasonal pattern of questing tick densities among years. questing nymphs were globally more abundant at pr than at sw, but the proportion of rodents inf ...201222607074
rodent damage to natural and replanted mountain forest regeneration.impact of small rodents on mountain forest regeneration was studied in national nature reserve in the beskydy mountains (czech republic). a considerable amount of bark damage was found on young trees (20%) in spring after the peak abundance of field voles (microtus agrestis) in combination with long winter with heavy snowfall. in contrast, little damage to young trees was noted under high densities of bank voles (myodes glareolus) with a lower snow cover the following winter. the bark of deciduo ...201222666163
an emerging infectious cause of renal impairment in the uk.hantaviruses are endemic in many central european countries, particularly the balkans, infection causing non-specific 'flu-like symptoms and renal dysfunction which is self-limiting in the majority of cases. in this case, there was a diagnostic delay, resulting in numerous unnecessary investigations, prolonged hospital stay and almost an invasive renal biopsy. a travel history is therefore essential, to establish travel to an endemic region within the previous 2-6 weeks. with increasing travel a ...201122674588
predation risk and food: opposite effects on overwintering survival and onset of breeding in a boreal rodent.1. in seasonal environments, optimal onset of breeding and survival plays major roles in individual fitness. many physiological and behavioural factors related to breeding increase the risk of predation; thus, breeding decisions should be based on current risks and benefits. according to life-history theory, if current predation risk is high and breeding itself increases the risk, it may be beneficial to postpone breeding. 2. during winter in northern hemispheres, food availability is limited an ...201222686945
rise in the number of notified human hantavirus infections since october 2011 in baden-wurttemberg, germany.from october 2011 to april 2012, 852 human hantavirus infections were notified in germany, of which 580 (68%) were in baden-württemberg. case numbers started to rise earlier than they did before the previous outbreaks in 2007 and 2010, and are the largest ever reported in this state during october to april of any year. the early rise could be due to a beech mast year in 2011, followed by an early and massive reproduction of the reservoir bank vole populations during winter 2011 and spring 2012.201222687824
environmental change and disease dynamics: effects of intensive forest management on puumala hantavirus infection in boreal bank vole populations.intensive management of fennoscandian forests has led to a mosaic of woodlands in different stages of maturity. the main rodent host of the zoonotic puumala hantavirus (puuv) is the bank vole (myodes glareolus), a species that can be found in all woodlands and especially mature forests. we investigated the influence of forest age structure on puuv infection dynamics in bank voles. over four years, we trapped small mammals twice a year in a forest network of different succession stages in norther ...201222745755
molecular detection of murine noroviruses in laboratory and wild mice.fecal specimens collected from 121 laboratory mice, 30 striped field mice (apodemus agrarius), 70 yellow-necked mice (apodemus flavicollis), and 3 bank voles (myodes glareolus) were tested in sample pools for the presence of murine noroviruses (mnv). ten of 41 laboratory mice and 2 of 3 striped field mice pooled samples were positive for mnv. all laboratory mouse mnvs were closely related to previously described mnvs. the complete orf2 (vp1) of both striped field mouse mnvs identified in this st ...201222748629
hantavirus infections in europe and their impact on public health.hantaviruses (genus hantavirus, family bunyaviridae) are enveloped tri-segmented negative-stranded rna viruses each carried by a specific rodent or insectivore host species. several different hantaviruses known to infect humans circulate in europe. the most common is puumala (puuv) carried by the bank vole; another two important, genetically closely related ones are dobrava-belgrade (dobv) and saaremaa viruses (saav) carried by apodemus mice (species names follow the international committee on t ...201322761056
[new data on the irkutsk focus of opisthorchiasis and on the need for its investigation].the paper gives data on an opisthorchiasis focus in the taishetsky district, irkutsk region. the species affiliation of bithynia from the biryusa river basin was established. these mollusks are morphologically close to opisthorchophorus hispanica (= bithynia inflata). no o. felineus trematodes were found in the snails examined. roach, dace, and bream were the second intermediate hosts. analysis of long-term data revealed that fish and human infection rates have remained comparatively high for al ...201222774499
experimental infection of laboratory-bred bank voles (myodes glareolus) with murid herpesvirus 4.muhv-4 is a natural pathogen of rodents of the genus apodemus (e.g., wood mice, yellow-necked mice) and myodes glareolus (bank voles). we report experimental muhv-4 infection of bank voles in comparison with infection of a. sylvaticus (wood mice) and balb/c mice. like in wood mice, the level of productive replication in the lungs of bank voles was significantly lower than in balb/c mice. in contrast to other hosts, however, the level of latent infection in the lung and spleen of bank voles was e ...201222782137
isolation of hokkaido virus, genus hantavirus, using a newly established cell line derived from the kidney of the grey red-backed vole (myodes rufocanus bedfordiae).hantaviruses belong to the family bunyaviridae and are maintained in wild rodents. although vero e6 cells, which originate from african green monkey kidney, are used widely in hantavirus research, isolation of hantaviruses from this cell line is difficult. to develop an efficient method of propagation and isolation of hantaviruses we established a novel cell line, mrk101, derived from the kidney of the grey red-backed vole (myodes rufocanus bedfordiae), the natural host of hokkaido virus (hokv). ...201222791608
gene conversion in the mitochondrial genome on interspecific hybridization in voles of the clethrionomys genus.the phenomenon of interspecific hybridization accompanied by transfer of the mitochondrial genome from the northern red-backed vole (clethrionomys rutilus) to the bank vole (cl. glareolus) in northeastern europe is well known already for 25 years. however, the possibility of recombination between homologous segments of maternal and paternal mtdnas of the voles during fertilization was not previously studied. analysis of data on variability of nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial gene for cy ...201222813593
interactive effects of past and present environments on overwintering success-a reciprocal transplant experiment.life-history traits are influenced by environmental factors throughout the lifespan of an individual. the relative importance of past versus present environment on individual fitness, therefore, is a relevant question in populations that face the challenge of temporally varying environment. we studied the interacting effects of past and present density on body mass, condition, and survival in enclosure populations of the bank vole (myodes glareolus) using a reciprocal transplant design. in conne ...201222837835
effect of dietary cadmium and/or lead on histopathological changes in the kidneys and liver of bank voles myodes glareolus kept in different group densities.bank voles free living in a contaminated environment are known to be more sensitive to cadmium (cd) toxicity than the rodents exposed to cd under laboratory conditions, but the reasons for this difference are poorly defined. the present work was designed to determine whether dietary lead (pb), a common environmental co-contaminant, and/or animal density that affects various physiological processes, would influence susceptibility to cd toxicity in the kidneys and liver of these animals. for 6 wee ...201222855305
a multi-structured epidemic problem with direct and indirect transmission in heterogeneous environments.in this work, we analyse a deterministic epidemic mathematical model motivated by the propagation of a hantavirus (puumala hantavirus) within a bank vole population (clethrionomys glareolus). the host population is split into juvenile and adult individuals. a heterogeneous spatial chronological age and infection age structure is considered, and also indirect transmission via the environment. maturation rates for juvenile individuals are adult density-dependent. for the reaction-diffusion systems ...201122873589
co-infection of borrelia afzelii and bartonella spp. in bank voles from a suburban forest.we report the molecular detection of borrelia afzelii (11%) and bartonella spp. (56%) in 447 bank voles trapped in a suburban forest in france. adult voles were infected by significantly more borrelia afzelii than juveniles (p<0.001), whereas no significant difference was detected in the prevalence of bartonella spp. between young and adult individuals (p=0.914). six percent of the animals were co-infected by both bacteria. analysis of the bank vole carrier status for either pathogen indicated t ...201222898354
molecular detection of novel astroviruses in wild and laboratory mice.pooled fecal specimens collected from striped field mice (apodemus agrarius), yellow-necked mice (apodemus flavicollis), and bank voles (myodes glareolus) and individual stool samples collected from laboratory mice were tested for the presence of picornaviruses and astroviruses. picornavirus rna was detected only in one striped field mouse sample pool, while astrovirus rna was detected in two yellow-necked mouse sample pools and in six of the 121 laboratory mouse samples. in a 234-amino acid (aa ...201222899339
epidemiology and fitness effects of wood mouse herpesvirus in a natural host population.rodent gammaherpesviruses have become important models for understanding human herpesvirus diseases. in particular, interactions between murid herpesvirus 4 and mus musculus (a non-natural host species) have been extensively studied under controlled laboratory conditions. however, several fundamental aspects of murine gammaherpesvirus biology are not well understood, including how these viruses are transmitted from host to host, and their impacts on host fitness under natural conditions. here, w ...201222915692
multiple synchronous outbreaks of puumala virus, germany, 2010.to investigate 2,017 cases of hantavirus disease in germany, we compared 38 new patient-derived puumala virus rna sequences identified in 2010 with bank vole-derived small segment rna sequences. the epidemic process was driven by outbreaks of 6 puumala virus clades comprising strains of human and vole origin. each clade corresponded to a different outbreak region.201222932394
in search for factors that drive hantavirus epidemics.in europe, hantaviruses (bunyaviridae) are small mammal-associated zoonotic and emerging pathogens that can cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (hfrs). puumala virus, the main etiological agent carried by the bank vole myodes glareolus is responsible for a mild form of hfrs while dobrava virus induces less frequent but more severe cases of hfrs. since 2000 in europe, more than 3000 cases of hfrs have been recorded, in average, each year, which is nearly double compared to the previous de ...201222934002
why is tick-borne encephalitis increasing? a review of the key factors causing the increasing incidence of human tbe in sweden.the highest annual incidence of human tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) in sweden ever recorded by the swedish institute for communicable disease control (smi) occurred last year, 2011. the number of tbe cases recorded during 2012 up to 6th august 2012 indicates that the incidence for 2012 could exceed that of 2011. in this review of the ecology and epidemiology of tbe in sweden our main aim is to analyse the possible reasons behind the gradually increasing incidence of human tbe during the last 20  ...201222937961
babesia spp. and anaplasma phagocytophilum in questing ticks, ticks parasitizing rodents and the parasitized rodents--analyzing the host-pathogen-vector interface in a metropolitan area.the aims of this study were to evaluate the host-tick-pathogen interface of babesia spp. and anaplasma phagocytophilum in restored areas in both questing and host-attached ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus and their small mammalian hosts.201222950642
steroid concentrations and immunoexpression of steroidogenic enzymes in ovaries of aged bank voles: effect of photoperiod.the main objective of the present study was to establish morphological and steroidogenic changes occurring in the ovaries of senescent bank voles, with respect to the photoperiod of rearing. obtained results revealed less pronounced changes in the ovaries of females reared in a long photoperiod (ld). their gonads still possessed some healthy follicles and old corpora lutea (cls). senescence-related changes encompassed the presence of abnormal follicles, large regions containing extra-follicular ...201222952145
maintenance of genetic diversity in cyclic populations-a longitudinal analysis in myodes glareolus.conspicuous cyclic changes in population density characterize many populations of small northern rodents. the extreme crashes in individual number are expected to reduce the amount of genetic variation within a population during the crash phases of the population cycle. by long-term monitoring of a bank vole (myodes glareolus) population, we show that despite the substantial and repetitive crashes in the population size, high heterozygosity is maintained throughout the population cycle. the stri ...201222957157
decaying mouse volatiles perceived by calliphora vicina rob.-desv.volatiles emitted by decaying human remains are in the focus of recent research. the identification of core volatiles in this field is of high importance, because cadaveric volatiles generally show high variation. in this study, the volatile profiles of five mice (myodes glareolus) were sampled with charcoal filter tubes from their time of death until advanced decay. eleven compounds were quantitated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. electroantennographic experiments with female ...201222970999
modelling zoonotic diseases in humans: comparison of methods for hantavirus in sweden.because their distribution usually depends on the presence of more than one species, modelling zoonotic diseases in humans differs from modelling individual species distribution even though the data are similar in nature. three approaches can be used to model spatial distributions recorded by points: based on presence/absence, presence/available or presence data. here, we compared one or two of several existing methods for each of these approaches. human cases of hantavirus infection reported by ...201222984887
[functional features of microbial communities in the digestive tract of field voles (microtus rossiaemeridionalis and clethrionomys glareolus)].the nitrogen-fixating and cellobiohydrolase activity, the nitrogen (n) and carbon (c) contents, and the number of microorganisms in the prestomach, cecum, and colon of two vole species were studied: the southern vole (microtus rossiaemeridionalis) and the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus), which is characterized by a mixed type of diet. the nitrogen-fixating activity in the cecum was found to be the highest in the voles compared with the mammals studied earlier. the seasonal dynamics of both n ...201622988758
Refresh
firstprev
12345678910...
nextlast
Displaying items 801 - 900 of 1419