Ecological approach of the fleas associated with Sigmodontine rodents from Patagonia, Argentina.

SANCHEZ JULIANA; MARCELA LARESCHI

BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2018 vol. 109 p. 72 - 83

0007-4853

Fleas have medical importance as vectors of the causative agents of several diseases in animals and humans, and rodents are the principal reservoirs of such pathogens. Argentinian Patagonia records the highest diversity of fleas of rodents in South America. However, the parasitism rates of fleas and the factors that drive its variation are unknown in this region, as well as the ecological aspects that modulate the distribution of the flea-host associations. This is the first study focused on analysed the diversity, prevalence, abundance, geographical distribution and host range of fleas comparing the parasitism rates between ecoregions from Patagonia and host species. Were captured 438 rodents belonging to 13 species from which were obtained 624 fleas of 11 species and subspecies (P= 46%; MA=1.44). The high parasitism rates obtained are consistent with previous records for other arid regions, suggesting that Patagonia favors the survival and development of Siphonaptera. The extent of the host geographic range and their population abundances showed a relation with the parasitological indexes: host species with high-density populations showed the highest mean abundance and prevalence and host widely distributed showed the highest species richness and diversity of fleas. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the flea-host-environment complex. This complete analysis of flea distribution, as well as the values of parasitism rates in Central Patagonia, may be useful in epidemiological studies of flea-borne diseases and may be a tool for implementing a specific surveillance system for better risk assessment of emerging these zoonoses in the region.