Pneumocystosis in wild small mammals from California

Cyst forms of the opportunistic fungal parasite Pneumocystis carinii were f ound in the lungs of 34% of the desert shrew, Notiosorex crawfordi (n = 59) , 13% of the ornate shrew, Sorer ornatus (n = 55), 6% of the dusky-footed w ood rat, Neotoma fuscipes (n = 16), 2.5% of the California meadow vole, Mic rotus californicus (n = 40), and 50% of the California pocket mouse, Chaeto dipus californicus (n = 2) caught from southern California between February 1998 and February 2000. Cysts were not found in any of the han est mouse, Reithrodontomys megalotis (n = 21), California mouse, Peromyscus californic us (n = 20), brush mouse, Peromyscus boylii (n = 7) or deer mouse, Peromysc us maniculatus (n = 4) examined. All infections were mild; extrapulmonary i nfections were not observed. Other lung parasites detected were Hepatozoon sp./ spp. from M. californicus and Notiosorex crawfordi, Chrysosporium sp. (Emmonsia) from M. californicus, and a nematode from S. ornatus.