Holarctic Marmots as a factor of Biodiversity.
Rumiantsev V.Yu;, Nikol'skii A.A. & Brandler O.V. eds.,
Abstracts, 3d Conference on Marmots (Cheboksary, Russia, 25-30 August 1997),
Moscow ABF 1997, 216p.



ALPINE MARMOTS (MARMOTA MARMOTA) AND THEIR DIGESTIVE PARASITES :
CINETIC OF INFECTION IN SEVERAL AREAS


M.-P. Callait, D. Gauthier, C. Prud'homme

France


Particularities of marmot parasitism (specificity and intensity, without obvious pathogenicity) make it an interesting model of host-parasite relations among mammals.

The analysis of 263 faecal samples and the necropsy of 25 Alpine marmots (hunted or naturally dead) were carried out to make an inventory of digestive parasitic fauna in 3 areas in French Alps and to study the dynamics of infections during activity season and hibernation.

The 4 dominant species are (highest values for prevalence and abundance): Ctenotenia marmotae, Ascaris laevis, Citellina alpina and Eimeria spp. We also found: Dicrocoelium lanceolatum, Capillaria sp., Echinococcus multilocularis. Capillaria sp.
might be a new species of the digestive tract of marmots. Marmota marmota is described for the first time as an intermediate host for Echinococcus multilocularis.

We set the biology of these different parasites: start of infection, pre-patent period, evolution during the activity season... We study the evolution of parasitism during hibernation, thanks to captive marmots. We test the hypothesis of autumn self-cure of each parasite and re-infection in spring, versus the hypothesis of persistence of some parasitic form (peculiar and microscopic "dormant" stage).


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