Abstract
Ticks and fleas act as vectors for a number of zoonotic diseases, hence are medically important. Handful of studies carried out in Sri Lanka to date have reported 6 tick species and 11 flea species from murine rodents and shrews. Here, we report ticks and fleas infesting murine rodents and shrews collected from 18 selected sites in two districts in Sri Lanka, Kurunegala and Kandy. Two species of ticks ( Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and Haemaphysalis spinigera ), an unidentified Haemaphysalis larva and a flea Xenopsylla cheopis were found from Kurunegala. From Kandy, four species of ticks ( R. haemaphysaloides, H. spinigera, Ixodis ceylonensis and Dermacentor auratus ) and three species of fleas ( X. cheopis, Stivalius phoberus and Stivalius aporus ) were collected. Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides was recorded from Rattus rattus, Bandicota indica, Mus fernandoni, Golunda ellioti and Suncus murinus ; H . spinigera from R. rattus, B. indica and S. murinus ; I. ceylonensis from M. cervicolor and R. rattus ; D. auratus from R. rattus ; both X. cheopis and S. phoberus were collected only from R. rattus ; S. aporus from R. rattus and M. fernandoni. Though, all species of parasites reported here have been previously recorded from Sri Lanka, D. auratus and H. spinigera are reported for the first time from murine rodents and shrews. We also report here several new host records for the country: R. haemaphysaloides from B. indica , G. ellioti and S. murinus ; H. spinigera from B. indica and S. murinus ; D. auratus and S. aporus from R. rattus ; larvae of I. ceylonensis from M. cervicolor .
Highlights
Ticks and fleas are medically important ectoparasitic arthropods infesting humans and other animals such as mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians (Guglielmone et al, 2010)
Eight small mammal species were found from both districts, of which six species (R. rattus, B. indica, M. fernandoni, M. cervicolor, G. ellioti and S. murinus) were infested with four species of ticks (R. haemaphysaloides, H. spinigera, I. ceylonensi, D. auratus) and three species of fleas (X. cheopis, S. phoberus, S. aporus)
All the tick and flea species recorded here have been previously reported from Sri Lanka, but D. auratus and H. spinigera are reported for the first time from murine rodents and shrews
Summary
Ticks and fleas are medically important ectoparasitic arthropods infesting humans and other animals such as mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians (Guglielmone et al, 2010). Fourteen genera and 702 species of ticks are recognized globally. They transmit a great variety of infections than any other blood sucking arthropod, and are only second to mosquitoes in terms of public health and veterinary importance (Mullen and Durden, 2002). Their attachment causes local inflammation and even anaphylactic reactions, toxicoses and paralysis in both humans and animals (Mullen and Durden, 2002; Radostits et al, 2006). Debilitation and death caused by hemoparasitism, toxicoses and paralysis are major causes contributing to the economic losses in livestock industry (Mullen and Durden, 2002)
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