Small rodents and their ectoparasites in different habitat types in Lithuania
| Author | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
LT | ||
LT | ||
LT | ||
Balčiauskas, Linas | Gamtos tyrimų centras | LT |
LT |
| Date | Start Page | End Page |
|---|---|---|
2021 | 63 | 63 |
| URI | Access Rights |
|---|---|
| Leidinys | Viso teksto dokumentas (atviroji prieiga) / Full Text Document (Open Access) |
| https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12259/127882 |
Wild small rodents and their ectoparasites play a significant role in the maintenance of pathogenic microorganisms in the nature and in the transmission of zoonotic diseases to humans and animals. Nevertheless, rodent-ectoparasite associations are still poorly known. Rodents are widely distributed and well adapted to different ecosystems and climates and understanding rodent-ectoparasite associations in different habitats is important from a human public health perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate ectoparasites (ticks and mites) parasitizing small rodents and estimate infestation patterns in mice and voles inhabiting different habitat types in Lithuania. Seven different species of rodents (Apodemus flavicollis, A. agrarius, Microtus arvalis, M. agrestis, M. oeconomus, Myodes glareolus and Micromys minutus) were caught in natural (overgrown and flooded meadows, peatbog and swamp) and suburban (commercial apple orchard) habitats in 2015 and 2018. A total of 1108 ectoparasites, represented by two species of ticks identified as Ixodes ricinus (n=706) and Dermacentor reticulatus. (n=125), and six species of Laelapidae mites (n=277; Laelaps agilis, L. hilaris, Hyperlaelaps microti, Haemogamassus nidi, Eulaelaps stabularis and Myonyssus gigas) were collected from small rodents. The overall prevalence of infestation with different ectoparasites varied between species of hosts and sampling sites. The most frequently infested with I. ricinus ticks and Laelapidae mites were A. flavicollis mice (77.0% and 73.0% respectively), while the overall prevalence of infestation with D. reticulatus was significantly higher on M. oeconomus voles (48.0%). Rodents collected in natural habitats were significantly higher in both ticks and mites infestation, compared to rodents in suburban habitats. Our study provides new data on associations between different species of small rodents and their ectoparasites in natural and suburban habitats in Lithuania.