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THE common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a rare woodland mammal that appears to have declined substantially in Britain during the past century (Bright and Morris 2002). A conservation initiative in England is reintroducing... more
THE common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a rare woodland mammal that appears to have declined substantially in Britain during the past century (Bright and Morris 2002). A conservation initiative in England is reintroducing dormice to suitable habitats where they are absent (Bright and Morris 2002) and supporting the species at sites where it is still found (Bright and Morris 1996). The diseases and parasites of common dormice have rarely been described. Ocular disease associated with Rhabditis orbitalis nematodes has been detected in one common dormouse, possibly associated with management practices in woodland (Sainsbury and others 1996). Another nematode, Richtularia cristata (Skryabin and others 1967), has also been recorded, and cestodes and trematodes have been described, although not in association with disease (Matskasi and others 1996). When wild animals are translocated to return them to the free-living state, it is important to carry out a health risk assessment (Leighton 2002) to ensure that changes in hostparasite encounters brought about by the move do not result in harm through infectious disease outbreaks. It is thus essential to know the status of the species in terms of infectious agents harboured by both captive and wild animals, as well as having information on the parasites recorded in the species in the past. Heligmosomoides polygyrus, an intestinal trichostrongylid nematode, is a common parasite of wild rodents throughout the Holarctic region, including many species belonging to the subfamilies Murinae and Microtinae and two species from the Cricetinae family (Durette-Desset and others 1972, Quinnell and others 1991, Asakawa 1995). This short communication, describes the first observation of H polygyrus infestation in the common dormouse. A female common dormouse (dormouse 1) arrived from another captive collection on May 3, 2001, in a consignment of over 35 common dormice, and was housed at Paignton Zoo, either in a 1 m3 wire mesh cage or a glass-sided tank approximately 0·75 x 0·25 x 0·5 m, with woodchip bedding, an array of branches for climbing and a wooden nestbox with hay for bedding. On the same day, a faecal sample was collected from another female common dormouse (dormouse 2) already present at Paignton Zoo and housed as above, and examined for pathogenic bacteria by culture on horse blood agar (QCM Laboratories), XLD agar (QCM Laboratories) following selenite broth enrichment, and CCDA medium (QCM Laboratories). A faecal smear was stained with modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain for the detection of cryptosporidia, microsporidia and mycobacteria. The faecal sample was also examined for parasites using direct microscopy. No significant bacteria were detected but numerous ova and adult nematodes were observed. Eight of 32 faecal samples collected from individual common dormice or groups of dormice on the same day at Paignton Zoo were positive for strongyle nematode ova. Eight days later, 0·28 mg praziquantel (Droncit; Bayer) and 5 μg ivermectin (Ivomec injection for cattle; Merial) diluted 1:20 in propylene glycol were adminVeterinary Record (2006) 158, 667-668
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The prevalences of Trichinella T9 in trapped raccoons (Procyon lotor) and several other potential mammalian reservoirs in Hokkaido, Wakayama, and Nagasaki Prefectures were investigated. Muscle samples were collected from 2003 to 2006 from... more
The prevalences of Trichinella T9 in trapped raccoons (Procyon lotor) and several other potential mammalian reservoirs in Hokkaido, Wakayama, and Nagasaki Prefectures were investigated. Muscle samples were collected from 2003 to 2006 from 1,080 raccoons, 113 raccoon dogs including 2 species (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus and N. p. viverrinus), 41 wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomystax), 14 martens (Martes melampus), 10 badgers (Meles meles), 5 Siberian weasels (Martes sibirica coreana), 7 mink (Mustela vison), and 1 red fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica). The samples were digested, and the prevalence and mean intensity of infection with the Trichinella muscle larvae were determined. The prevalence and intensity of the muscle larvae were 0.9% and 93.3 larvae/g (range 0.4-201.8) in raccoons, and 1.6% and 61.6 larvae/g in raccoon dogs, respectively. The infected animals were captured in different areas in Hokkaido Prefecture. These results confirmed that raccoons, which have been introduced from North America since the 1970s, are involved in the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella in Japan. In raccoons, the muscle density of Trichinella T9 larvae was highest in the tongue, and larvae were not found in the heart muscle or diaphragm. This is the first report of Trichinella T9 infection of feral raccoons in Japan.
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Research Interests: Microbiology, Biology, Medicine, Trematoda, Birds, and 15 moreAnimals, Primer design, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Cytochrome c oxidase, Fisheries Sciences, Nematode, Feces, Nematoda, Sensitivity and Specificity, Molecular Diagnosis, Clinical Application, Nested PCR, DNA sequence, Trematode infections, and Bird diseases
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This paper presents the development of an elastoplastic finite-element method (FEM) program dedicated for the sheet hydroforming (SHF) process and the simulated results of the elliptical cup deep drawing process using the program. First,... more
This paper presents the development of an elastoplastic finite-element method (FEM) program dedicated for the sheet hydroforming (SHF) process and the simulated results of the elliptical cup deep drawing process using the program. First, the development of the SHF simulation program based on the home-made static FEM code STAMP3D is described. Several new techniques to give a sheet the proper
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An unknown species of the genus Notocotylus (Digenea: Notocotylidae) was found as the larval stage from the lymnaeid snail, Radix auricularia, in a static water area of the Chubetsu River, Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. A DNA... more
An unknown species of the genus Notocotylus (Digenea: Notocotylidae) was found as the larval stage from the lymnaeid snail, Radix auricularia, in a static water area of the Chubetsu River, Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. A DNA barcoding identification system was applied to detect the adult stage. Through the inspection of anatid game birds in Hokkaido, Anas crecca, Anas platyrhynchos, Anas zonorhyncha, and Mareca penelope were demonstrated to serve as the definitive hosts. The detailed morphological features of the species were characterized using adults raised experimentally in immunosuppressed mice and naturally developed larvae in R. auricularia. Although the species is morphologically similar to Notocotylus attenuatus and Notocotylus magniovatus in both adult and larval stages, its taxonomic independence was confirmed by a comprehensive study based on molecular phylogeny, morphology, and ecology. Here we propose Notocotylus ikutai n. sp. for this species. The migratory behavior of the anatid hosts and the North-Eurasian distribution of R. auricularia suggest that the new species is widely distributed in the northern Far East.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Parasitology, Zoology, Medical Microbiology, Biology, and 7 moreEcology, Digenea, Medicine, Genus, Larva, Veterinary Sciences, and Anas
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Babesiosis is a tick-borne protozoan disease affecting many mammalian species worldwide, caused by the intraerythrocytic multiplication of Babesia spp. The present study aimed to detect the presence of Babesia sp. in 13 American mink from... more
Babesiosis is a tick-borne protozoan disease affecting many mammalian species worldwide, caused by the intraerythrocytic multiplication of Babesia spp. The present study aimed to detect the presence of Babesia sp. in 13 American mink from Hokkaido, Japan. One of 13 animals was positive, as indicated by nested PCR targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA (SSU rDNA) and subunit 7 (eta) of the chaperonin-containing t-complex polypeptide 1 (CCT7) genes from species of Babesia and Theileria. Sequencing of the PCR product of SSU rDNA revealed 99% homology to the isolates of Babesia sp. SAP#131 found in raccoons in Hokkaido, whereas that of the CCT7 gene showed 80% homology to the isolates of Babesia gibsoni in dogs as determined by BLAST analysis. We refer to the cognate sequence as Babesia sp. NV-1. Phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA and CCT7 genes from Babesia sp. NV-1 revealed them to be most closely related to the Babesia sp. SAP#131 from a raccoon in Hokkaido and to canine B. gibsoni, respectively. Here, we provide the first molecular evidence of the Babesia sp. NV-1 parasite in feral American mink ( Neovison vison ) in Hokkaido, Japan.