New Records of spp. and spp. in Lice Collected from Small Rodents.

Lice are blood-sucking insects that are of medical and veterinary significance as parasites and vectors for various infectious agents. More than half of described blood-sucking lice species are found on rodents. Rodents are important hosts of several and species, and some of these bacteria are characterized as human pathogens in Europe. Rodent ectoparasites, such as fleas and ticks, are important vectors of spp. and spp., but knowledge about the presence of these bacteria in lice is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of and bacteria in lice collected from rodents in Slovakia. The ectoparasites were collected from small rodents captured from 2010 to 2015 at four different sites in eastern Slovakia. The presence of and species in lice samples was screened by real-time PCR, targeting and genes, respectively. The molecular characterization of the strains was based on sequence analysis of partial and intergenic spacer (ITS) genes, and of the species on sequence analysis of the gene. A total of 1074 lice of seven species were collected from six rodent species. DNA was detected in (collected from , , and ), (from ), and sp. (from ). Sequence analysis revealed that the strains belonged to the , , and genogroups. DNA was detected in and collected from . Sequence analysis revealed two species: and sp. The results of the study confirm the presence of spp. and spp. in lice collected from rodents.