Laelaps cf. L. paulistanensis (Acari: Mesostigmata) ectoparasites of Oligorzyzomys spp. (Rodentia) in the Argentine Río de la Plata basin: A model to discriminate cryptic species, explore patterns of distribution and to handle zoonosis.

GALLIARI CARLOS; LARESCHI MARCELA; MELIS MAURICIO; SAVCHENKO EKATERINA; ULYSES F. J. PARDIÑAS

Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Congreso; II Congreso Internacional de Zoonosis y IX Congreso Argentino de Zoonosis Alimentos y Zoonosis: Desafíos del Siglo XXI.; 2018

Asociacion Argentina de Zoonosis

Wild rodents may harbour many zoonotic agents and can also play an important role as reservoir hosts for vectorborne agents of diseases, e.g. Rickettsia spp. The appearance of several pathogenic agents, mainly in mites belonging to the family Laelapidae, has been recently confirmed. However, there is still a lack of information regarding South America, especially Argentina. When zoonotic studies are conducted, accurate taxonomic identification of ectoparasites may uncover the presence of possible cryptic species. The distribution of the rodents of the genus Oligoryzomys is relatively well known in Argentina, especially in the Parana-Paraguay river basins. Particularly, Oligoryzomys flavescens and Oligoryzomys nigripes occur both separately or in sympatry, and constitute a good model for parasite-host-pathogen studies in a geographical range.