Table 1.
Summary of microparasites studied in Kielder field voles. Adapted and expanded from Telfer et al. (2010)
| Species | Type | Transmission mode | Primary site of infection | Infection length | Clinical signs/effects on fitness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowpox virus | Virus | Direct | Respiratory tract and lymphoid tissues (monocytes and macrophages) | Self-limiting (4 weeks) | No apparent clinical signs, but reductions in fecundity and survival |
| Mycobacterium microti (vole tuberculosis) | Bacterium | Direct | Unknown but cutaneous, respiratory tract and lymphoid tissues likely | Unknown but most likely chronic (lifelong) | Characteristic skin lesions |
| Anaplasma phagocytophilum | Bacterium | Vector-borne (ticks) | Granulocytes | Self-limiting (4–8 weeks) | Transient cytopenias |
| Bartonella spp. | Bacterium | Vector-borne (fleas) | Erythrocytes | Self-limiting (4–8 weeks) | No apparent clinical signs |
| Babesia microti | Protozoan | Vector-borne (ticks) | Erythrocytes | Chronic (lifelong) | Haemolytic anaemia, generally subclinical |
| Trypanosoma (Herpestoma) microti | Protozoan | Vector-borne (fleas) | Blood | Unknown, probably self-limiting (a few weeks) | Anaemia |