Development of Chinese Lemming as an Experimental Animal

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Parasitological and virological surveys of wil rodents captured in the Xinjiang-Uygur autonomous region of China over 2 years from 1998 through 1999 were carried out. In order to develop new laboratory animal models for human infectious diseases, attempts were made to rear Lagurus lagurus and Meriones meridianus in the laboratory and to experimentally infect the laboratory-born animals with Echinococcus spp., Leishmania infantum and Cryptosporidium spp.A total of 569 wild small animals were captured in 17 localities in and around Mt. Tien-Shan and Mt. Altai and belonged to 2 families, 2 genera and 2 species of Insectivora, and 3 families, 18 genera, and 25 species of Rodentia. Twenty four species of acanthocephala and nematodes, and seven species of cestodes were obtained from the captured animals in parasitological examinations. Anti-Borna disease virus antibodies were detected in 4 out of 20 horses and 5 out of 20 sheep.In experimental infection of L.lagurus, M.meridianus and golden hamster with Echinococcus spp, M.meridianus was highly sensitive to both E.multilocularis and E.granulosus infections. Oocysts of Cryptosporidum purvum and C.muris were detected in feces from both L.lagurus and M.meridianus orally inoculated with Cryptosporidum spp. for 2 to 18 days after inoculation, indicating that these animals can be used as a new infection model for cryptosporidiosis. In experimental infection with L.infantum, the protozoa grew more rapidly in livers and spleens of L.lagurus than in those of hamsters.