[The manifestation of necrophagy in the populations of rodents carrying the virus of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome].

The role of necrophagy in the epizootic manifestations of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is first shown. By analyzing a great body of data obtained in the Saratov Region in 1982-2000, it has been established that the frequency of manifestations of necrophagy depends on many factors, the most important of which are a season, the size (density) of populations of small mammals, their species composition and the type of biotopes inhabited by these animals. Necrophagy is ascertained to be of great importance in HFRS foci as one of the alimentary routes of infection transmission in the parasitic systems. The presence or absence of necrophagy may serve as a preliminary test for the activity of HFRS foci.