[Hepatic larvae of Cestode parasites of the vole rat Arvicola terrestris in Auvergne (France)].

The autopsy of 943 vole rats Arvicola terrestris scherman Shaw (Mammal Microtidae) from Auvergne (Departments of Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal) obtained for the year 1981 and 1982 shows evidence of four different species of hepatic cestode larvae. Cysticercus fasciolaris occurred in 37 (3.92%), Echinococcus multilocularis in 23 (2.44%), C. tenuicollis in 11 (1.16%) and C. laticollis in 10 (1.06%). C. longicollis occurred in one (0.10%) as parasite of the abdominal cavity. There is usually just one larva for a liver but a multiple parasitism is not excluded: 2 larvae of C. fasciolaris (2 cases), or 3 or 5 larvae (one case each); 5 larvae of C. tenuicollis (1 case). Mixed parasitism also is possible (C. fasciolaris + C. laticollis: 1 case. C. fasciolaris + E. multilocularis: 3 cases). So 77 livers (8.16%) are parasitized. The role of the vole rat in the epidemiology of the five species of cestodes is discussed. Anatomical and histological aspects are described for each species to make certain the differential and specific diagnosis of the young and frequent E. multilocularis larvae.