Intestinal helminths of spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus) from St Katherine's Protectorate in the Sinai, Egypt

Spiny mice, Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus, inhabiting the wadis close to St K atherine in the mountains of the Sinai peninsula, were trapped and their he lminth parasites were studied. Sixty one mice provided faeces for analysis and 27 were killed and autopsied. Six species of helminths were recorded (t he spirurid nematodes, Protospirura muricola (74.1%) and Mastophorus muris (11.1%), the oxyuroid nematodes, Dentostomella kuntzi (59.3%), Aspiculuris africana (3.7%), and Syphacia minuta (3.7%) and the hymenolepidid cestode R odentolepis negevi (18.5%)). The spirurids were the dominant species presen t, accounting for up to 0.87% of total host body weight. Analysis of worm w eights and lengths suggested that transmission had been taking place in the months preceding our study. No sex difference in the prevalence or abundan ce of spirurids was detected. Significant differences were identified in th e abundance of total nematode burdens and the mean helminth species richnes s between the three wadis which provided multiple captures of mice. There w as also a marked effect of host age on both parameters. A highly significan t positive correlation between spirurid egg counts and total worm biomass i ndicated that non-invasive techniques based on egg counts could be used to quantify worm burdens and when this technique was applied to a larger sampl e size (n=61), a significant difference between sites but no host sex or ag e effects were detected for spirurid faecal egg counts. The data suggest th at there are differences between helminth component communities infecting s piny mice in different neighbouring wadis, a hypothesis which Will be explo red further through our continuing studies in the Sinai.