Sex differences in flea infections among rodent hosts: is there a male bias?

摘要: Recognizing patterns of parasite distribution among wildlife hosts is major importance due to growing risk transmission zoonotic diseases humans. Thus, sex-dependent in higher vertebrates extensively studied, and males are often found more parasitized than females. Male-biased parasitism may be the result weaker immunocompetence male owing immunosuppressive effect androgens. Moreover, larger (males) demonstrate infestation levels smaller individuals (females), as they constitute a better nutritional resource for parasites provide them with greater variety niches. In present work, we investigated flea three common rodent species (Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, Myodes glareolus). We hypothesized that have confirm male-biased A. agrarius M. glareolus, but not flavicollis. Additionally, increased body mass flavicollis glareolus. The detected differences sexes probably effects androgens spatial behavior males.