Identification of potential chemosignals in the European water vole Arvicola terrestris

The water vole Arvicola terrestris is endemic to Europe where its outbreak generates severe economic losses for farmers. Our project aimed at characterising putative chemical signals used by this species, to develop new sustainable methods for population control that could also be used for this species protection in Great Britain. The water vole, as well as other rodents, uses specific urination sites as territorial and sex pheromone markers, still unidentified. Lateral scent glands and urine samples were collected from wild males and females caught in the field, at different periods of the year. Their volatile composition was analysed for each individual and not on pooled samples, revealing a specific profile of flank glands in October and a specific profile of urinary volatiles in July. The urinary protein content appeared more contrasted as males secrete higher levels of a lipocalin than females, whenever the trapping period. We named this protein arvicolin. Male and female liver transcript sequencing did not identify any expression of other odorant-binding protein sequence. This work demonstrates that even in absence of genome, identification of chemical signals from wild animals is possible and could be helpful in strategies of species control and protection.

Revealing of Natural Leptospirosis Focus in Irkutsk Suburb

For the first time natural leptospirosis focus was revealed in the Irkutsk suburb in 2012 - 2014 during epizootological inspection of a pond-marsh complex. Total 74 small animals (14 species) were examined, specific fragments of Leptospira DNA were found in 16,2%; positive in microagglutination test results were in 1,6% of the samples. Two pathogenic Leptospira strains were isolated from tundra common shrews (Sorex tundrensis) and one isolate - from a water vole (Arvicola terrestris). Circulation of pathogenic Leptospira in a city line represents a potential risk of infection for local population that requires the planning and realization of appropriate preventive actions.

Morphometrical analysis of Taenia taeniaeformis and Taenia crassiceps in the common vole (Microtus arvalis) and the water vole (Arvicola terrestris) in Vorarlberg, Austria

Taenia taeniaeformis and Taenia crassiceps are cestodes with voles as intermediate hosts and Felidae, Canidae and Mustelidae as definitive hosts. To evaluate the influence of T. taeniaeformis metacestodes on voles in Vorarlberg (Western Austria), a helminthological survey was performed on 318 common voles (Microtus arvalis) and 93 water voles (Arvicola terrestris). Furthermore the metacestodes themselves were analysed by morphometric methods. Our results demonstrate that both T. taeniaeformis and T. crassiceps are endemic in Vorarlberg, and that there is a significant difference between those infected with larvae of T. taeniaeformis and uninfected voles regarding body weight, but not sex or body length.