THE BANK VOLE, CLETHRIONOMYS-GLAREOLUS, AS THE PRINCIPAL CARRIER OF THE AGENT IN THE FOREST FOCUS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS

It was found that a forest natural focus of the agent Leptospira inter rogans Grippothyphosa serogroup exists in the forest climax community in Tver district (Central Forest Biosphere Reserve). The principal car rier of the agent is bank vole. The intensive epizootics involving oth er species of small mammals occur in the bank vole populations. Spruce forest nemorosus with the most stable populations of bank vole is the most important for existence of the focus. There are very many blocka ges of wind-fallen trees in this forest creating favourable conditions for transmission and conservation of L. grippothyphosa. The intensity of leptospirosis in the populations of C. glareolus depends on the dy namics of these populations more than in populations of Mucrotus oecon omus because of quantitative difference in diuresis of these species.