The potential effect of exotic Pacific ratsRattus exulanson vectors of scrub typhus

Abstract

Summary1. The role and influence of exotic species in indigenous vector‐borne diseases are important but remain understudied. Ascertaining whether disease vectors prefer exotic vs. native hosts has important implications for human health. Moreover, evaluating whether exotic hosts are intrinsically less susceptible to vectors, or whether vector loads can vary with environment, is instructive for possible disease dynamics in the face of range expansion of exotic species.Rattus exulanshas recently been recorded for the first time in eastern Taiwan, where scrub typhus is prevalent. We assessed the role ofR. exulansas a host for chiggers (larval trombiculid mites), and the degree to which vector loads ofR. exulansexhibited spatial variation.2. We deployed live traps in two villages in Taiwan that differed in human population density and in the incidence of scrub typhus. We recovered and tallied chiggers from small mammals, and identified over one‐fifth of chiggers from each host to species. Chiggers were assayed forOrientia tsutsugamushi(OT) infection with nested‐PCR.3. R. exulanswas the most common small mammal species captured (31·4% total captures), and supported about one‐fifth of total chiggers recovered.Leptotrombidium imphalumdominated the chigger assemblage of most native species (>90%), butGahrliepiaspp. was commonly found inR. exulans(39·1%). We detected OT in the genusLeptotrombidium(39%) but not in theGahrliepia. Prevalence and loads of chiggers inR. exulanswere about 5× and 17× higher, respectively, in the less densely populated village; a similar trend also occurred with nativeR. losea.4. Synthesis and applications. Currently,R. exulansappears to play a relatively minor role in supporting chiggers. However, the fact that both prevalence and loads of chiggers inR. exulansvary greatly with environment, along with the abundance of most exotic species and the ecological flexibility ofR. exulans, implies a potential health risk as this species expands to areas with more chiggers. Our study suggests that a clearer understanding of interactions among native and exotic hosts and native parasite species can facilitate prediction of the impact of exotic hosts on the dynamics of vector‐borne diseases.