Ectoparasites of some wild rodents /shrews captured from Scrub typhus reported areas in Tamil Nadu, India

Scrub typhus cases have been reported in Madurai, but very little is known about the distribution patterns of ectoparasites on rodents and shrews in the Madurai district. To determine the chigger vectors of scrub typhus, Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, Mus musculus, and Suncus murinus were collected f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of acarology 2021-04, Vol.47 (3), p.218-221
Main Authors: Philip Samuel, Paulraj, Govindarajan, Renu, Krishnamoorthi, Ranganathan, Nagaraj, Jaganathasamy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ectoparasites
Ehrlichiosis
India
Orientia tsutsugamushi
Plague
Rodents
Scrub typhus
shrew
Soricidae
Tamil Nadu
Typhus
Vectors
Xenopsylla cheopis
Zoonoses
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Summary:Scrub typhus cases have been reported in Madurai, but very little is known about the distribution patterns of ectoparasites on rodents and shrews in the Madurai district. To determine the chigger vectors of scrub typhus, Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, Mus musculus, and Suncus murinus were collected from these areas and the prevalence and mean intensity were calculated as 40% & 14.8  ±  3.9 for chiggers. Mites were collected from burrow soil samples. The chiggers Leptotrombidium deliense and Schoengastiella ligula, both known as vectors for the transmission of Orientia tsutsugamushi in India, were recorded in this study. In addition, Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, a putative vector of Indian tick typhus and canine ehrlichiosis, and the oriental rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis, a known vector of the plague pathogen Yersinia pestis, were also reported. They have high zoonotic potential and have been implicated in the transmission of the aforementioned emerging zoonotic diseases. Parapathi is a typical scrub typhus village with lots of rat burrows found around many houses and many reported scrub typhus cases. Rodents and shrews collected from these areas harboured vectors of medical and veterinary importance and act as endemic reservoir for transmitting zoonotic diseases which requires urgent attention for its control. http://www. zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5EFDD3BC-B9BA-4595-A02E-8AAEB4E7D755
ISSN:0164-7954
1945-3892
DOI:10.1080/01647954.2021.1887932