Diversity, distribution and parasitism rates of fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) on Sigmodontine rodents (Cricetidae) from Argentinian Patagonia

SANCHEZ, JULIANA P.; LARESCHI, MARCELA

BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2019 vol. 109 p. 72 - 83

0007-4853

Fleas have great medicalrelevance as vectors of the causative agents of several diseases in animals andhumans and rodents are the principal reservoirs for these pathogens. ArgentinianPatagonia has the highest diversity of rodent fleas in South America. However,parasitism rates of rodents by fleas, the factors that influence them and theecological aspects that modulate geographical distributions of flea-hostassociation, remain unknown for this region. This is the first study to recordthe diversity, prevalence, abundance, geographical distributions and host rangesof fleas in Argentinian Patagonia. It also compares parasitismrates among Patagonian ecoregions and host species. We captured 438 rodentsbelonging to 13 species, which harboured 624fleas from 11 species and subspecies (P= 46%; MA=1.44). The high parasitismrates obtained were consistent with previous records for other arid regions,suggesting that Patagonia favours the survival and development of Siphonaptera.Host geographic range and abundance were related to theparasitological indexes: host species with high-density populations had thehighest mean flea abundance and prevalence, whereaswidely distributed hosts had the highest richness and diversity offlea species. Our results contribute to knowledgeof the flea-host-environment complex. Our analysis of flea distributions and parasitismrate in Central Patagonia may be useful in epidemiological studies offlea-borne diseases and provide a basis forimplementing surveillance systems for better risk assessment of emerging zoonoses inthe region.