Effects of Season, Habitat, and Host Characteristics on Ectoparasites of Wild Rodents in a Mosaic Rural Landscape

Despite the large number of studies on rodent ectoparasites-most of them vectors of epidemiologically important pathogens-infestation patterns remain poorly understood in various ecological contexts, such as the highly patchy agricultural landscapes. We aimed to relate the infestation of rodents to temporal, habitat, and host variables. We assessed the difference in parasite prevalence and mean abundance depending on host sex, age, and body weight, season, and land use intensity. Furthermore, we analysed the effect of host species abundance and the differential responses of parasites in main and minor host species. The field survey was conducted in a rural landscape in southern Transylvania (Romania) between June and September 2010-2011. We live-trapped small mammals, collected the ticks and fleas, and recorded the presence of lice and mites. Overall, we found the same infestation patterns largely reported in the literature: higher prevalence and mean abundance in heavier adult males, significant seasonality and differences among host species, and evidence of the dilution effect. The uniqueness of our study system was the negative effect of the land use intensity on the prevalence and mean abundance of parasites, explained by the highly patchy mosaic landscape.

Responses of small mammals to habitat characteristics in Southern Carpathian forests

Compared to Northern Carpathians, the small mammal fauna of Southern Carpathian forests is poorly known, with no data on habitat use; our study seeks to fill this gap. To this end, we conducted a survey in the Southern Carpathians for five years, assessing habitat use by small mammals in forests along an elevational gradient. Trapping was done using live traps set in transects at elevations between 820 and 2040 m. For each transect we evaluated variables related to vegetation structure, habitat complexity, and geographical location. We considered abundance, species composition and species richness as response variables. The rodents Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus and the shrew Sorex araneus were common and dominant. Their abundance were positively correlated with tree cover, the best explanatory variable. Responses to other variables were mixed. The strong divergence in the relative habitat use by the three most abundant species may act as a mechanism that enables their coexistence as dominant species, exploiting the same wide range of habitat resources. Overall, habitat use in our study area was similar to that reported from Northern Carpathians, but we found also important differences probably caused by the differences in latitude and forest management practices.

Small mammal (Mammalia, orders Soricomorpha and Rodentia) communities in the lower Black river basin, Romania

The survey of small mammal communities in the Lower Black River Basin was carried out between November 2005 and July 2012 in three locations. Using live traps several habitats have been investigated. During the study, we captured 199 individuals belonging to 9 species – 2 shrews and 7 rodents. Four other species were identified based on direct or indirect observations.

[Our attitude in esophageal and gastric post-caustic lesions]

The authors present the experience of the surgery section in patients treatment with oesophagian or gastric lesions after caustic substances ingestion. From a group of 70 patients who were treated in a conservative way (with medicines and dilatations) 60 of them returned to the surgery for nourishment gastrostomy. In two cases, the oesophagian and gastric lesions was established preoperations trough radiologic examination and in thirteen cases the lesions were found intraoperation. The adopted attitude is exemplified presenting a case. Under a general anaesthesia is done a limited resection (about 3 cm) with termino-terminal anastomosis of the stenosed antral area keeping the vascular arches of the little and big gastric curvature. A minimal a la Gavriliu gastrostomy is mounted on the vertical area of the little curvature. Through the gastrostomy (Petzzer) probe is put a tube of perfusor to the first jejununal ansa. In the first 48 hours the Petzeer is used for the gastric drainage in the perfusor probe for feeding. After 48 hours the jejununal probe is taken away and the gastrostomic feeding begins. After six mouths from the caustic ingestion 25 patients come back again for oesophagian reconstruction. For 24 patients the Gavriliu I, II proceeding is applied and for a case it is used the small intestine ansa. They lost 3 patients (2 with gastric tube and 1 with intestinal ansa). The evolution in 24 years time was very good.

[Iatrogenic acute abdomen]

The autors present 41 cases of acute abdomen occuring after medico-surgical procedures, diagnostic explorations, or conservative treatments. The clinicat pictures of these patients were suggestive of acute abdomen of the peritonitis or hemorrhagic type. The severity of the cases was more frequently determined by the basic disease, for which the exploration was performed, by the retarded intervention and the septic fluid that flooded the peritoneal cavity. Without attempting to minimize the value of explorative or therapeutic procedures, that may sometimes determine acute abdominal syndromes, the authors stress the necessity to make a careful selection of the cases that will undergo these procedures, as well as the capability and the experience of those that will carry them out.