Ectoparasite Diversity and Exposure to Vector-Borne Disease Agents in Wild Rodents in Central Coastal California

Abstract

A survey of wild rodents was performed in the Morro Bay area of central coastal California to determine serological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum Dumler, Barbet, Bekker, Dasch, Palmer, Ray, Rikihisa, and Rurangirwa, Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmidt, Hyde, Steigerwalt, and Brenner, Francisella tularensis McCoy, and Yersinia pestis Yersin; to describe the ectoparasitic fauna on important vector-borne disease hosts; and to determine whether pathogen exposure was associated with infestation by ectoparasites. We trapped 411 rodents from 10 species in 2004 and 2005. Anaplasma phagocytophilum exposure was detected in 11% of all wild rodents tested, with seropositive animals in eight species. Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA was detected by PCR amplification in Neotoma fuscipes Baird and Reithrodontomys megalotis Baird (0.6% of all rodents). Yersinia spp. exposure was identified in 3.2% of all rodents tested, with highest detected exposure in peridomestic rodents, Mus musculus L. (20%), and Rattus rattus L. (50%). No individuals tested positive for the Y. pestis pla gene by PCR. In total, 338 fleas were identified from each of 10 rodent species examined. The most abundant flea was Malareus telchinus Rothschild. Relative density of flea infestation was highest on Spermophilus beecheyi Richardson and Microtus californicus Peale. Ticks recovered from trapped animals included Ixodes angustus Neumann, Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls, Ixodes spinipalpis Hadwen & Nuttall, and Dermacentor occidentalis Marx. Given the moderate climate and diversity of rodents and arthropods in the Morro Bay area, ongoing investigation of this region will be helpful in understanding disease maintenance cycles.

Preliminary Survey of Ectoparasites and Associated Pathogens from Norway Rats in New York City

“…Our identification of Bartonella spp. from fleas, and the detection of multiple human pathogens from Norway rats reported elsewhere (Firth et al 2014), indicates a risk of disease exposure for humans (Nieto et al 2007) that could be addressed with rodent management efforts (Mohr et al 1953).…”

The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History

“…The large range and apparent lack of host specificity have resulted in this tick being reported frequently in the literature from many host species, mostly rodents and insectivores (e.g., Bishopp and Trembley 1945;Judd 1950;Gregson 1956;Martell et al 1969;Whitaker and French 1982;Barker et al 1992;Durden and Keirans 1996;Nieto et al 2007;Anstead et al 2013). Despite being regularly encountered, it is seldom collected in large numbers, and there are limited data from field studies on its natural history.…”

Detection of Rickettsia Typhi and Seasonal Prevalence of Fleas Collected From Small Mammals in the Republic of Korea

“…A survey of rat fleas was first reported in Korea by Kobayashi (1931), and subsequent surveys identified 37 species with associated hostparasite relationships (Nagahana, 1937a(Nagahana, , b, 1938a(Nagahana, , b, c, 1954Tipton et al, 1972;Hong, 1994). Rodent-borne disease surveillance programs that identify ectoparasite diversity and potential human exposure to zoonotic vector-borne disease agents can provide a better understanding of disease maintenance cycles and possibly a means of predicting disease emergence events (Nieto et al, 2007).…”