Jadvyga Grikienienė

Sarcocystis Infection in Wild Ungulates in Lithuania

Prevalence and intensity of Sarcocystis infection in red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), moose (Alces alces), farmed sika deer (Cervus nippon), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) were established. Data on sika deer sarcocystosis are published in Baltic countries for the first time. Samples of stained muscle sections of 243 individuals underwent miscroscopic examination. The prevalence of Sarcocystis infection varied between 83.0% (moose) and 92.7% (sika deer), these differences having no statistical significance. The median (Md) intensity of infection in diaphragm samples was the lowest among red deer and moose (Md = 5) while among roe deer it proved to be the highest (Md = 22.5). The number of intense infection cases in diaphragm muscles was the highest (26.8%) in roe deer whereas in moose and red deer intense infection was not recorded at all. The median number of sarcocysts in oesophagus and heart muscles of investigated game species was higher than in those of diaphragm.

Investigations into Endoparasites of Small Mammals in the Environs of Lake Drūkšiai

This paper on the long-term (1981–1990) investigations into endoparasites of small mammals in the habitats around the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP), adjacent to Lake Drūksiai, is compiled from scientific contributions made by T. Arnastauskienė, J. Kazlauskas and L. Balciauskas. In total, more than 2,500 individuals belonging to 11 Rodentia species and three Insectivora species were examined. The study of the first period (1981–1984) focused on the parasitological situation before the beginning of the INPP operation. Thirty six species of intestinal coccidia and 31 helminth species were identified. Further studies (1986.1988), covered the impact of the increased anthropogenic pressure on the endoparasite fauna. There were 18 coccidian and 25 helminth species diagnosed. Changes in the composition of host species caused changes in parasite fauna. As polydominant communities of mouse-like rodents turned to monodominant, the diversity of parasite species decreased, parasite species specific to the domina...

New Experimental Data on the Laboratory Rat as a Definitive Host of Sarcocystis rodentifelis

An experiment on 30 Wistar Norway laboratory rats was carried out. The animals were infected by feeding them with ground skeletal muscles of 10 laboratory rats with high intensity of muscle cysts Sarcocystis rodentifelis. From the 8th to the 47th day p.i. fully sporulated oocysts and from the 10th to the 70th day p.i.—sporocysts, typical of genus Sarcocystis, were found in mucosal scrapings and in the rest of the small intestine wall in 23 out of 26 rats. The average size of oocysts was 14,6±0,07 × 11,0±0,1 (14,0–16,0 × 9,2–12,5) μm (n=58), sporocysts −10,6±0,08 × 7,5±0,05 (9,4–12,3 × 7,0–8,5) μm (n=58). These data allow us to assume that the laboratory rat serves both as the intermediate and definitive host for the species S. rodentifelis. This is the first record on the finding of Sarcocystis oocysts and sporocysts in the mucosa of the small intestine of rodents.

Some Data on Endoparasites of Common Mole in Lithuania

To study common mole (Talpa europaea L., 1758) infection with endoparasites 59 individuals trapped in five localities of Lithuania in 1999–2001 were examined. All common moles were examined by the method of total helminthological autopsy, skeletal muscles of 45 and brains of 25 animals being additionally studied by microscopic examination of stained and native preparations. The prevalence of infection was established to be 91.5%. The number of helminth species detected in mole digestive and internal organs totalled 13: Omphalometra flexuosa, Dilepis undula, Staphylocystis bacillaris, Tricholinstowia talpae, T. linstowi, Parastrongyloides winchesi, Capillaria sp., C. incrassata, Porrocaecum sp., P. depressum, Agamospirura minutissima, and unidentified larvae – ‘larva 1’. and ‘larva 2’. Capillaria sp. eggs were detected in the spleen. Common moles were most often infected with adult T. talpae and C. incrassata nematodes and nematode larvae of Porrocaecum sp. and ‘larva 1’. There were free and encapsulated n...

Investigation of Sarcosporidians (Sarcocystis) of Small Mammals in Kamasta Landscape Reserve and its Surroundings

In 1995-1997, in Kamasta Landscape Reserve, there was investigated the small mammal infection with sarcosporidians applying two methods, compressive and histological. 590 animals belonging to 9 species were examined: 3 insectivorous (Insectivora), and 6 rodent (Rodentia: Muridae, Cricetidae) species. There was found only one common shrew (Sorex araneus), which was infected with microsarcocysts of all the examined 86 insectivorous. After investigating 504 mouse-like rodents, sarcocysts were detected in only 3 vole species, 46 (14.4%) of all the examined 320 Clethrionomys glareolus, 11 (20.4%) of all 54 Microtus arvalis and 7 (17.9%) of the examined 39 M. agrestis. There are presented morphometric investigation data on the sarcocysts and cyst merozoites. It has been established that S. putorii species parasitized in all the infected M. arvalis and in one case M. agrestis vole muscles. Their sarcocysts were characterised by large sizes and 2.3-4.0 μm length projections on their sarcocyst wall and having larg...

Prevalence of Trichinella in Muscles of Some Domestic and Wild Mammals in Lithuania and their Impact on the Organism

A survey of the research into trichinellosis among 13 species of sylvatic and domestic animals conducted in 1987–2000 in Lithuania is presented herein. Muscle samples of 66 wild predators representing seven species: wolf (Canis lupus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), pine marten (Martes martes), stone marten (Martes foina), weasel (Mustela nivalis), European polecat (Putorius putorius) and 105 domestic carnivores were examined. The investigations also included 156 wild boars (Sus scrofa), 1,383 domestic pigs, 43 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and 21 black rats (R. rattus). The highest extensiveness of infection with encapsulated Trichinella larvae was established among red foxes (9/27), raccoon dogs (3/11) and pine martens (5/8). These parasites were also detected in the muscles of one wolf, one European polecat, two out of the 156 (1.3%) wild boars and four out of the 86 (4.6%) stray cats. Pathogenicity and virulence of Trichinella isolate extracted from the wild boar to ...

The Importance of Coprophagy and Transplacental Transmission in Spread of Sarcocystis Rodentifelis in Rats

Using the experimental model ‘Sarcocystis rodentifelis – laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus var. alba)., three experiments with 340 ‘Wistar’ rats were carried out. The aim of the study was: (1) to investigate a possibility of the faecal-oral transmission of S. rodentifelis in rats; (2) to find oocysts or sporocysts of that parasite in faeces of sarcocyst-infected rats; (3) to evaluate the role of transplacental transmission in the distribution of S. rodentifelis. It was established that intestines of rats infected with S. rodentifelis sarcocysts are infective to intact rats from days 4–8 to 54–70 (throughout the experiment) and faeces – from days 6 to 80 after the sarcocysts are eaten. In faeces of sarcocyst-infected rats, several sporocysts and one oocyst were found. In rodent faeces, sarcosporidians of those stages were detected for the first time. Sarcocysts were not found in muscles of 83 rattling born by eight females infected with oocysts/sporocysts of S. rodentifelis. A conclusion was drawn that fae...

Transmission OF Sarcocystis rodentifelis from female rats (Rattus Norvegicus) to their offspring

Pregnant female Rattus norvegicus were infected with Sarcocystis rodentifelis by feeding them portions of laboratory rats heavily laden with sarcocysts. After infecting dams in the first or last weeks of pregnancy, offspring were also found to harbour infections at 51,1 and 90,6 %, respectively. Rats infected with S. rodentifelis are able to transmit this parasite to their offspring.

New Experimental Data on Transplacental Transmission of Sarcocystis in Laboratory Rats

Summary Investigations on transmission ways of Sarcocystis rodentifelis Grikienienė, Arnastauskienė, Kutkienė 1993 from the Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) demonstrated that this species may be transmitted over to the offspring of laboratory rats in transplacental way through the infection of females with sporocysts and oocysts in the last week of pregnancy.