Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2020 May;20(5):334-347. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2524. Epub 2020 Feb 20.
Entomological surveys of ectoparasites and their hosts are an essential tool for assessing the risks of rodent-borne diseases transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors. This study was carried out to update the epidemiological data of plague with respect to species compositions of the rodents and their ectoparasites at enzootic foci located in Kurdistan Province, Iran. The rodents' habitats were selected based on past records of plague and subclimates in each study district with especial attention to the vegetation type. The trapped rodents were anesthetized using a chloroform chamber, and the animals were then examined for ectoparasites by brushing their hair over a pan containing water. The ectoparasites were collected with a fine brush and preserved in 70% ethanol in screw cap tubes. A total of 208 rodents were trapped from three districts. Taxonomic ranking of the rodents indicated that the specimens belonged to 2 suborders of Myomorpha and Sciuromorpha, 4 families (Muridae, Muscardinidae, Cricetidae, and Sciuridae), 7 genera, including , , , , , and , and 15 species. Out of 208 rodents, only 56 (26.9%) were infested with 22 species of ectoparasites. Totally, 312 ectoparasites were isolated from 56 rodents, including 12 flea species (54.5%), 6 mite species (27.3%), 3 tick species (13.6%), and one louse species (4.6%). Five species of fleas were recorded for the first time in Kurdistan Province, including , , , sp., and spp. The finding revealed new records for rodents and ectoparasites in Kurdistan Province, as well as changes in dominant rodent species and their ectoparasites compared to previous studies. This phenomenon can influence the changes in the incidence of plague and its epidemiology.
昆虫学调查是评估节肢动物媒介传播给人类的啮齿动物源性疾病风险的重要工具。本研究旨在更新有关伊朗库尔德斯坦省地方性流行地区啮齿动物及其外寄生虫种属组成的鼠疫流行病学数据。根据每个研究区过去的鼠疫记录和亚气候，选择啮齿动物的栖息地，并特别注意植被类型。使用氯仿室对捕获的啮齿动物进行麻醉，然后通过在盛有清水的盘子上刷啮齿动物的毛发来检查其外寄生虫。用细毛刷收集外寄生虫，并将其保存在带螺旋盖的管中 70%的乙醇。从三个地区共捕获了 208 只啮齿动物。啮齿动物的分类排名表明，标本属于 2 个亚目（Myomorpha 和 Sciuromorpha）、4 个科（Muridae、Muscardinidae、Cricetidae 和 Sciuridae）、7 个属，包括 、 、 、 、 、 和 ，以及 15 个种。在 208 只啮齿动物中，只有 56 只（26.9%）被 22 种外寄生虫寄生。从 56 只啮齿动物中总共分离出 312 只外寄生虫，包括 12 种跳蚤（54.5%）、6 种螨（27.3%）、3 种蜱（13.6%）和 1 种虱子（4.6%）。有 5 种跳蚤是在库尔德斯坦省首次记录到的，包括 、 、 、 sp. 和 spp. 。这一发现为库尔德斯坦省的啮齿动物和外寄生虫提供了新的记录，以及与以前的研究相比，优势啮齿动物种及其外寄生虫的变化。这种现象会影响鼠疫的发病率和流行病学变化。
