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Physiological responses of insular wild black rat (Rattus rattus) to natural infection by the digenean trematode Fasciola hepatica

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Abstract

Wild black rat Rattus rattus is regularly infected by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica on Corsica. This report constitutes the only example of a murid rodent that plays an important epidemiological role for the Fasciolosis. We investigated the influence of such unusual parasite infection on black rat physiology by measuring its oxygen consumption at different ambient temperatures. Black rat energy requirements are influenced by body mass, temperature of the experiment and parasite infestation. The influence of the presence of F. hepatica was more pronounced for cold temperatures. The mean increase of 56% in oxygen requirements for infected rats is extremely high, indeed unexpected, according to previous knowledge. These high physiological constraints may be explained by the recent confrontation of the digenean and the rodent.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Centre d’Ecologie Evolutive’s staff and more especially Jean Pierre Clara, Eric Georget and Francis Rubio for helping during trapping in the field. We thank Prof. René Sicart and Prof. René Agid (Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France) as well as Dr. Marie-Charlotte Saint-Girons for putting the Bargeton’s device at our disposal.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Ecologie Evolutive, UMR 7628 CNRS-Université Pierre et Marie Curie Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls sur Mer-Laboratoire Arago BP 44, 66 651, Banyuls sur mer Cedex, France

    E. Magnanou & R. Fons

  2. Unitat de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    C. Feliu

  3. CBGP (Centre de Biologie et de Gestion des Populations), Campus International de Baillarguet, CS 30 016, 34988, Montferrier sur Lez Cédex, France

    S. Morand

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  1. E. Magnanou
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  2. R. Fons
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  3. C. Feliu
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  4. S. Morand
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Correspondence to E. Magnanou.

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Magnanou, E., Fons, R., Feliu, C. et al. Physiological responses of insular wild black rat (Rattus rattus) to natural infection by the digenean trematode Fasciola hepatica . Parasitol Res 99, 97–101 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0063-1

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