TRYPANOSOMIASIS IN MICE OF THE CHERNOBYL ZONE OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION

Abstract

One of the most obvious and long-lasting consequences of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant accident is the creation of an exclusion zone and a zone of unconditional (compulsory) alienation. The effect of succession is manifested in the fact that a significant part of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as of 1986 was artificial or semi-artificial systems that were under regulatory control by humans. Parasitic systems are one of the informative indicators of processes occurring in ecosystems. Any changes in the host population lead to changes in the parasite population. The degree of imbalance of the “parasite-host” system depends on the nature and strength of the influence of external factors. In order to study the parasitic systems of the exclusion zone as informative indicators, rodents were selected. Among the rodents studied for the presence of causative agents of parasitic diseases were field (Apodemus agrarius) and yellow-necked (Apodemus flavicollis) mice. A study of them was conducted for the presence of causative agents of blood-borne parasitic diseases. Examination of mice blood smears revealed the presence of causative agents of blood parasitic and infectious diseases in all of the investigated animals. Among the causative agents of these diseases, Trypanosoma spp., Babesia spp., Rickettsia spp. and others were identified. Trypanosoma spp. was identified for the first time on the territory of Ukraine in blood smears of 3 mice among investigated, which were 25 % (95 % confidence intervals 6.8–54.1). The number of parasites in 200 fields of view of the microscope from the studied mice varied from 2 to 25

Keywords

• hemoparasitic diseases
• mice
• apodemus flavicollis
• apodemus agrarius
• trypanosoma spp.