Parasites in Brains of Wild Rodents (Arvicolinae and Murinae) in the City of Leipzig, Germany

Overview

Journal Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl

Date 2019 Nov 1

PMID 31667084

Citations 7

Authors

Patrick Waindok

Gokben Ozbakis-Beceriklisoy

Elisabeth Janecek-Erfurth

Andrea Springer

Martin Pfeffer

Michael Leschnik

Christina Strube

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Small rodents serve as intermediate or paratenic hosts for a variety of parasites and may participate in the transmission of these parasites into synanthropic cycles. Parasites with neuroinvasive stages, such as or , can cause detrimental damage in the brain of intermediate or paratenic hosts. Therefore, the occurrence of neuroinvasive parasite stages was evaluated in brains of wild rodents captured in the city of Leipzig, Germany. In addition, a few specimens from the cities of Hanover, Germany, and Vienna, Austria were included, resulting in a total of 716 rodents collected between 2011 and 2016. Brains were investigated for parasitic stages by microscopic examination of native tissue, artificially digested tissue as well as Giemsa-stained digestion solution to verify positive results. Infective stages of zoonotic ascarids or other helminths were not detected in any sample, while coccidian cysts were found in 10.1% (95% CI: 7.9-12.5%; 72/716) of examined brains. The most abundant rodent species in the study was the bank vole (; Arvicolinae), showing an infection rate with cerebral cysts of 13.9% (95% CI: 11.0-17.8%; 62/445), while 2.7% (95% CI: 1.0-5.8%; 6/222) of yellow-necked mice (; Murinae) were infected. Generalized linear modelling revealed a statistically significant difference in prevalence between and , significant local differences as well as an effect of increasing body mass on cyst prevalence. Coccidian cysts were differentiated by amplification of the gene and subsequent sequencing. The majority of identifiable cysts (97.9%) were determined as , a coccidian species mainly circulating between as intermediate and buzzards ( spp.) as definitive hosts. The zoonotic pathogen was confirmed in one originating from the city of Leipzig. Overall, it can be concluded that neuroinvasion of zoonotic parasites seems to be rare in and .

Citing Articles

The Genetic Identification of Numerous Apicomplexan Species in Intestines of Common Buzzard ().

Sukyte T, Juozaityte-Ngugu E, Svazas S, Butkauskas D, Prakas P Animals (Basel). 2024; 14(16).

PMID: 39199925 PMC: 11350845. DOI: 10.3390/ani14162391.

First Observations of Buzzards () as Definitive Hosts of Parasites Forming Cysts in the Brain Tissues of Rodents in Lithuania.

Prakas P, Jasiulionis M, Sukyte T, Juozaityte-Ngugu E, Stirke V, Balciauskas L Biology (Basel). 2024; 13(4).

PMID: 38666876 PMC: 11047845. DOI: 10.3390/biology13040264.

Detection of Three Species (Apicomplexa) in Blood Samples of the Bank Vole and Yellow-Necked Mouse from Lithuania.

Prakas P, Gudiskis N, Kitryte N, Bagdonaite D, Baltrunaite L Life (Basel). 2024; 14(3).

PMID: 38541690 PMC: 10971911. DOI: 10.3390/life14030365.

Rodents as Sentinels for in Rural Ecosystems in Slovakia-Seroprevalence Study.

Antolova D, Stanko M, Jarosova J, Miklisova D Pathogens. 2023; 12(6).

PMID: 37375516 PMC: 10305098. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060826.

High prevalence rates of in cat-hunted small mammals - Evidence for parasite induced behavioural manipulation in the natural environment?.

Pardo Gil M, Hegglin D, Briner T, Ruetten M, Muller N, More G Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2023; 20:108-116.

PMID: 36747510 PMC: 9898578. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.01.007.

References

Macpherson C . The epidemiology and public health importance of toxocariasis: a zoonosis of global importance. Int J Parasitol. 2013; 43(12-13):999-1008. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.07.004. View

Janecek E, Waindok P, Bankstahl M, Strube C . Abnormal neurobehaviour and impaired memory function as a consequence of Toxocara canis- as well as Toxocara cati-induced neurotoxocarosis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017; 11(5):e0005594. PMC: 5436879. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005594. View

Vanhee M, Dalemans A, Viaene J, Depuydt L, Claerebout E . Toxocara in sandpits of public playgrounds and kindergartens in Flanders (Belgium). Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2019; 1-2:51-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2016.03.002. View

Flegr J . Influence of latent Toxoplasma infection on human personality, physiology and morphology: pros and cons of the Toxoplasma-human model in studying the manipulation hypothesis. J Exp Biol. 2012; 216(Pt 1):127-33. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.073635. View

Janecek E, Beineke A, Schnieder T, Strube C . Neurotoxocarosis: marked preference of Toxocara canis for the cerebrum and T. cati for the cerebellum in the paratenic model host mouse. Parasit Vectors. 2014; 7:194. PMC: 4017833. DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-194. View

Tenter A, Heckeroth A, Weiss L . Toxoplasma gondii: from animals to humans. Int J Parasitol. 2000; 30(12-13):1217-58. PMC: 3109627. DOI: 10.1016/s0020-7519(00)00124-7. View

Geisel O, Kaiser E, Vogel O, KRAMPITZ H, Rommel M . Pathomorphologic findings in short-tailed voles (Microtus agrestis) experimentally-infected with Frenkelia microti. J Wildl Dis. 1979; 15(2):267-70. DOI: 10.7589/0090-3558-15.2.267. View

Kleine A, Springer A, Strube C . Seasonal variation in the prevalence of Toxocara eggs on children's playgrounds in the city of Hanover, Germany. Parasit Vectors. 2017; 10(1):248. PMC: 5437484. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2193-6. View

Silaghi C, Pfeffer M, Kiefer D, Kiefer M, Obiegala A . Bartonella, Rodents, Fleas and Ticks: a Molecular Field Study on Host-Vector-Pathogen Associations in Saxony, Eastern Germany. Microb Ecol. 2016; 72(4):965-974. DOI: 10.1007/s00248-016-0787-8. View

10.

Epe C, Sabel T, Schnieder T, Stoye M . The behavior and pathogenicity of Toxacara canis larvae in mice of different strains. Parasitol Res. 1994; 80(8):691-5. DOI: 10.1007/BF00932955. View

11.

Vuitton D, Zhou H, Bresson-Hadni S, Wang Q, Piarroux M, Raoul F . Epidemiology of alveolar echinococcosis with particular reference to China and Europe. Parasitology. 2004; 127 Suppl:S87-107. View

12.

HUTCHINSON W, Bradley M, Cheyne W, WELLS B, Hay J . Behavioural abnormalities in Toxoplasma-infected mice. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 1980; 74(3):337-45. DOI: 10.1080/00034983.1980.11687350. View

13.

Antolova D, Reiterova K, Miterpakova M, Stanko M, Dubinsky P . Circulation of Toxocara spp. in suburban and rural ecosystems in the Slovak Republic. Vet Parasitol. 2004; 126(3):317-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.08.005. View

14.

Reperant L, Hegglin D, Tanner I, Fischer C, Deplazes P . Rodents as shared indicators for zoonotic parasites of carnivores in urban environments. Parasitology. 2009; 136(3):329-37. DOI: 10.1017/S0031182008005428. View

15.

Schmidt S, Essbauer S, Mayer-Scholl A, Poppert S, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Klempa B . Multiple infections of rodents with zoonotic pathogens in Austria. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2014; 14(7):467-75. PMC: 4098071. DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2013.1504. View

16.

Parson W, Pegoraro K, Niederstatter H, Foger M, Steinlechner M . Species identification by means of the cytochrome b gene. Int J Legal Med. 2001; 114(1-2):23-8. DOI: 10.1007/s004140000134. View

17.

Thomas F, Adamo S, Moore J . Parasitic manipulation: where are we and where should we go?. Behav Processes. 2005; 68(3):185-99. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2004.06.010. View

18.

Koch T, Schoen C, Muntau B, Addo M, Ostertag H, Wiechens B . Molecular Diagnosis of Human Taenia martis Eye Infection. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016; 94(5):1055-7. PMC: 4856602. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0881. View

19.

Jurankova J, Basso W, Neumayerova H, Frencova A, Balaz V, Deplazes P . Predilection sites for Toxoplasma gondii in sheep tissues revealed by magnetic capture and real-time PCR detection. Food Microbiol. 2015; 52:150-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2015.07.005. View

20.

Cox D, Holland C . Relationship between three intensity levels of Toxocara canis larvae in the brain and effects on exploration, anxiety, learning and memory in the murine host. J Helminthol. 2001; 75(1):33-41. DOI: 10.1079/joh200028. View