Flea surveillance on wild mammals in northern region of Xinjiang, northwestern China

Publication date: Available online 1 December 2019Source: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and WildlifeAuthor(s): Chang Shu, Mengmeng Jiang, Meihua Yang, Jun Xu, Shanshan Zhao, Xiaoping Yin, Baoju Wang, Jinliang Sheng, Yuanzhi WangAbstractFlea distribution in northern region of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and fluctuations of the annual fleas index in Alataw Pass were investigated. During a 4-year (2015-2018) study, 5789 fleas were collected directly from 15 mammals at eight counties in northern XUAR of northwestern China. Nineteen flea species, belonging to sixteen genera and seven families, were further confirmed by four genetic markers (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, COI and COII) after morphological observation. Pulex irritans and Paraceras crispum parasitizing Asian badgers (Meles leucurus) were recorded for the first time. In addition, the fluctuations of the annual fleas index in Alataw Pass were surveyed. Xenopsylla gerbilli minax, Xenopsylla conformis conformis and Nosopsyllus laeviceps laeviceps were highly detected in the warm season while Paradoxopsyllus repandus, Ctenophthalmus dolichus dolichus and Coptopsylla lamellifer ardua were only found in the cold season. These findings extend our knowledge of flea species, distribution and annual fluctuations especially in China-Kazakhstan border.Graphical abstractIn this work, we report the flea distribution in northern region of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and fluctuations of the annual fle...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research