New records of small mammal hosts for five ectoparasite species from Sri Lanka
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 co...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
2016-11-01
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| Series: | Ceylon Journal of Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cjs.sljol.info/articles/7398 |
| Summary: | 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 (<em>Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides</em> and <em>Haemaphysalis spinigera</em>), an unidentified <em>Haemaphysalis</em> larva and a flea <em>Xenopsylla cheopis</em> were found from Kurunegala. From Kandy, four species of ticks (<em>R. haemaphysaloides, H. spinigera, Ixodis ceylonensis </em>and <em>Dermacentor auratus</em>) and three species of fleas (<em>X. cheopis, Stivalius phoberus </em>and<em> Stivalius aporus</em>) were collected. <em>Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides </em>was recorded from <em>Rattus rattus, Bandicota indica, Mus fernandoni, Golunda ellioti</em> and <em>Suncus murinus</em>;<em> H</em>. <em>spinigera </em>from<em> R. rattus, B. indica</em> and <em>S. murinus</em>;<em> I. ceylonensis </em>from<em> M. cervicolor </em>and <em>R. rattus</em>;<em> D. auratus </em>from<em> R. rattus</em>;<em> </em>both <em>X. cheopis </em>and<em> S. phoberus </em>were collected only from<em> R. rattus</em>;<em> S. aporus </em>from<em> R. rattus </em>and<em> M. fernandoni. </em>Though, all species of parasites reported here have been previously recorded from Sri Lanka, <em>D. auratus</em> and <em>H. spinigera </em>are reported for the first time from murine rodents and shrews. We also report here several new host records for the country:<em> R. haemaphysaloides </em>from<em> B. indica</em>, <em>G. ellioti </em>and<em> S. murinus</em>; <em>H. spinigera </em>from<em> B. indica </em>and<em> S. murinus</em>; <em>D. auratus </em>and<em> S. aporus</em> from<em> R. rattus</em>; larvae of <em>I. ceylonensis</em> from <em>M. cervicolor</em>. |
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| ISSN: | 2513-2814 2513-230X |