Characteristics of garden dormice that contribute to their capacity as reservoirs for lyme disease spirochetes.

To describe the contribution of garden dormice to the epizootiology of Lyme disease, we compared their reservoir capacity for these pathogens to that of other sympatric hosts. Garden dormice are trapped most abundantly during early spring and again during midsummer, when their offspring forage. They are closely associated with moist forests. Garden dormice serve as hosts to nymphal ticks far more frequently than do other small mammals. Spirochetal infection is most prevalent in dormice, and many more larval ticks acquire infection in the course of feeding on these than on other rodents in the study site. Mature dormice appear to contribute more infections to the vector population than juveniles do. Replete larval ticks generally detach while their dormouse hosts remain within their nests. The population of garden dormice contributes five- to sevenfold more infections to the vector population than the mouse population does. Their competence, nymphal feeding density, and preference for a tick-permissive habitat combine to favor garden dormice over other putative reservoir hosts of Lyme disease spirochetes.

[Swimmers' dermatitis in an excavation pool--an incentive for the status analysis of the water and for the preparation of an ecology-friendly utilization concept]. / Badedermatitisepidemie im Baggersee--ein Anlass zur Zustandsanalyse des Gewässers und Vorbereitung einer naturverträglichen Nutzungskonzeption.

In recent years, swimmer's itch occurred in several ground water lakes dud excavation pools in sporadic or epidemic outbreaks in the upper Rhine valley. They were caused by Trichobilharzia szidati. The Public Health Offices in Offenburg and Freiburg have been dealing extensively with this problem. They were also requested to comment on the use of lakes within a framework for regional development (Landschaftsrahmenplan) by the Southern Upper Rhine Regional Authority. An ecological study of water quality was prepared in summer 1989 in Offenburg. Hydrological and biological criteria were applied. Eutrophication due to excessive nutrient input proved to be the main problem. Measures for reduction were proposed that also included determining water use. Thus, specific use should either be prescribed from the beginning for each lake and made possible via ecologically oriented long-term maintenance measures, or use should be adapted to the natural succession process. Thus, after gravel quarrying, water sports including bathing would be possible, followed by fish farming and finally reservation as protected area.