Influencing factors of floor fleas abundance in households of Western Yunnan Province

Abstract

Objective To analyze the factors influencing the number of floor fleas from households in Western Yunnan Province. Methods Eight hundred households from 10 counties in Western Yunnan Province were randomly selected as study objects. Floor fleas were collected using water plate method. Ten water plates were placed in each household for 3 continuous nights, then the floor fleas were collected in the following morning. The potential predictors, including social factors (e.g. ethnic group, income), family environment (e.g. structure of house, ground of house, crops growing around house), human intervention (e.g. keeping cat or dog), were collected through face to face interview and observation. A data set was established using Epi Data 3.02 software. Hurdle negative binomial regression model was used to explore the relationship between the abundance of floor fleas and the potential predictors under R software. Results Of 800 households, 2 406 floor fleas (including 5 species) were collected in 346 households. Pulex irritans was the dominant species, which accounted for 72.7%. The following predictors were confirmed by the hurdle negative binomial regression model: the probability of capturing floor fleas in households with ethnic groups increased by 81% comparing with Han; the probability of capturing floor fleas in households with working out decreased by 48% comparing with farming; the probability of capturing floor fleas in households with earning more than 20 000 Yuan decreased by 41% comparing with less than 10 000 Yuan; the probability of capturing floor fleas in households with cats increased by 82%, meanwhile the number of capturing floor fleas increased by 1.09 times; the probability of capturing floor fleas in households with dogs increased by 1.20 times; the probability of capturing floor fleas in households with earth-and-wood structure increased by 52%; the probability of capturing floor fleas in households with cement floors decreased by 65%; the number of capturing floor fleas in households with fruit trees surroundings increased by 1.11 times. Conclusions The abundance of floor fleas is closely related to social and economic factors, human intervention and family environmental factors. To control the number of floor fleas effectively, the above factors that influencing the floor fleas abundance should be considered when a program to kill flea is conducted. Key words: Siphonaptera; Abundance; Predictors; Household