Yan Haiwen, Bu Fan, Wu Xinyu, Zhang Haoting, Sun Shanshan, Bai Wenke, Wu Xiaodong, Yuan Shuai, Fu Heping
College of Grassland and Resource Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2024 Sep 21;25:100993. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100993. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Fleas frequently parasitize rodents and serve as major vectors for many zoonotic diseases. The Alxa Desert in Inner Mongolia, China, is a typical arid region in Asia, which is suitable for the coexistence of a variety of rodents in this environment. Understanding the host selection of fleas among these rodents and the factors influencing this selection is crucial for comprehending rodent-borne diseases and the vector roles of fleas. This study utilized live-trap methods to capture rodents coexisting in the Alxa Desert from April to October 2022. Body surface fleas were collected and analyzed for abundance across different hosts, sexes, and reproductive statuses. The results indicated that: (1) there were significant differences in the species and abundance of parasitic fleas on different rodent species, with and preferring the and as their hosts, and preferring as its host. (2) Fleas exhibited sex-preferential host selection, showing a greater preference for male hosts. (3) Among rodents of different reproductive states, most fleas prefer to parasitize individuals in non-reproductive periods. (4) The mean abundance of fleas varied significantly between seasons ( < 0.05), with spring and autumn being the peak periods for flea parasitism. (5) Factors influencing the mean abundance of fleas included host species, sex, reproductive status, and season, with host species having the greatest impact.
跳蚤经常寄生于啮齿动物，并作为许多人畜共患病的主要传播媒介。中国内蒙古的阿拉善沙漠是亚洲典型的干旱地区，适合多种啮齿动物在这种环境中共存。了解这些啮齿动物中跳蚤的宿主选择以及影响这种选择的因素，对于理解啮齿动物传播的疾病和跳蚤的传播媒介作用至关重要。本研究采用活体诱捕方法，于2022年4月至10月捕获阿拉善沙漠中共存的啮齿动物。收集其体表跳蚤，并分析不同宿主、性别和生殖状态下的跳蚤丰度。结果表明：（1）不同啮齿动物物种身上寄生跳蚤的种类和丰度存在显著差异，[具体物种1]和[具体物种2]更喜欢以[宿主1]和[宿主2]为宿主，而[具体物种3]更喜欢以[宿主3]为宿主。（2）跳蚤表现出对宿主性别的偏好，对雄性宿主的偏好更大。（3）在不同生殖状态的啮齿动物中，大多数跳蚤更喜欢寄生于非生殖期的个体。（4）跳蚤的平均丰度在不同季节间存在显著差异（P<0.05），春季和秋季是跳蚤寄生的高峰期。（5）影响跳蚤平均丰度的因素包括宿主物种、性别、生殖状态和季节，其中宿主物种的影响最大。
