Department of Biology, University of Trnava, Priemyselná 4, Trnava 91843, Slovakia.
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic.
Parasitology. 2023 Feb;150(2):212-220. doi: 10.1017/S0031182022001731. Epub 2022 Dec 23.
Larval trombiculid (chigger) mites are common ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates including humans, causing itching and skin inflammation known as trombiculiasis. Investigation of their diversity, distribution and seasonal abundance is therefore important from a veterinary and public health point of view. Although researchers have paid increased attention to these parasites in recent years, there is still little ecological data available on chiggers associated with birds inhabiting different types of habitats such as wetlands, for example. In 2021, we investigated the mite fauna in a specialist reedbed passerine, the bearded tit (), and their effects on this host in the south-west Slovakia, Central Europe. A total of 1134 larvae of 1 mite species were found in 99 out of 267 examined bearded tits. Juveniles were more infested than adult birds, but no differences were found between sexes. The larvae of mites first appeared on the host during the second half of June and peaked in the second half of July. After that, their numbers decreased gradually until October. Despite the relatively high prevalence and intensity of mite infestation in the bearded tit, no differences in body condition between infested and uninfested birds suggest that infestation by may not have serious negative effects on the host health. Bearded tits can therefore be a reliable indicator of the presence of the chigger mites in wetland habitats.
幼虫恙螨（恙螨）是包括人类在内的陆地脊椎动物的常见外寄生虫，会引起瘙痒和皮肤炎症，称为恙虫病。因此，从兽医和公共卫生的角度来看，研究它们的多样性、分布和季节性丰度非常重要。尽管近年来研究人员对这些寄生虫的关注度有所提高，但有关栖息在湿地等不同类型栖息地的鸟类相关恙螨的生态数据仍然很少。2021 年，我们在斯洛伐克西南部调查了专门栖息在芦苇丛中的鸣禽——须山雀（）及其对该宿主的影响。在 267 只检查过的须山雀中，共有 99 只发现了 1134 只螨虫幼虫。幼鸟比成年鸟受感染更严重，但雌雄之间没有差异。螨虫幼虫在 6 月下半月首次出现在宿主身上，并在 7 月下半月达到高峰。此后，它们的数量逐渐减少，直到 10 月。尽管须山雀的螨虫感染率和强度相对较高，但感染和未感染鸟类的身体状况没有差异，这表明感染 可能不会对宿主健康产生严重的负面影响。因此，须山雀可以成为湿地栖息地存在恙螨的可靠指标。
