Troglotrema acutum (Digenea) from carnivores in the Czech Republic
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2004 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Helminthologia |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | Troglotrema acutum; polecat;distribution;ecology |
| Description | A collection of 5 282 skulls of 14 carnivore species was examined and characteristic changes of the visceral part of cranial skeleton caused by trematode Troglotrema acutum were found in 6 of the studied species: Mustela putorius (the typical host; prevalence 7.1%), Martes martes (1.6%), Martes foina (0.6%), Meles meles (1.1%), Lutra lutra (0.9%) and Vulpes vulpes (0.8%). Fresh material (225 carnivores of 7 species) was examined for accurate identification of cranial skeleton changes and determination of parasite species. Nine adult trematodes from 3 infected M. putorius were obtained. Trematode T. acutum has been found on 8.1% of the territory of the Czech Republic so far, 55,3% was detected at localities with altitudes from 201 to 300 m a.s.l. Its distribution in the Czech Republic is of focal character. It was found out that neither spatial nor vertical distributions of T. acutum correspond to the present distribution of the first intermediate hosts determined so far (small prosobranchiate snails of Bythinella genus). A hypothesis has been formulated that the first intermediate hosts of this trematode species may be with high probability also other species of prosobranchiate snails, whose distribution is not limited by altitude. |
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