Factors Concerned with the Epizootiology of Capillaria hepatica (Bancroft, 1893) (Nematoda) in a Population of Peromyscus maniculatus in Algonquin Park, Canada

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Abstract
Capillaria hepatica is a common parasite in Peromyscus maniculatus in Algonquin Park, Canada, and occurs also in Ondatra zibethicus, Clethrionomys gapperi, Microtus pennsylvanicus, Napaeozapus insignis, and Synaptomys cooperi, the latter 4 being new host records. Laboratory infections were established in Mus musculus, P. leucopus, and Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, the latter 2 being new host records; Tamiaa striatus and Cavia porcellus were resistant to infection. The prevalence of C. hepatica in a wild population of P. maniculatus varies directly with the density of the host. It was shown that direct infection by predation could not account for the pattern of infection with C. hepatica in this population. Few eggs were released into the feces of the infected host, and these only early in the infection; starvation did not increase the number released. The eggs must be released from an infected host by cannibalism. Most infections in the population of P. maniculatus are acquired during the winter months, and it is postulated that the winter nest is the primary focus of infection. Eggs of C. hepatica are long-lived, both when embryonated and unembryonated, and since they survived temperatures of -15[degree]C, it is likely that they can withstand winter temperatures in Algonquin Park, at least within the winter nest.

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