The Alataw Pass, near the Ebinur Lake Wetland (northwest of China) and Taldykorgan (east of Kazakhstan), is a natural habitat for wild rodents. To date, little has been done on the surveillance of Bartonella spp. and Wolbachia spp. from fleas in the region. Here we molecularly detected Bartonella spp. and Wolbachia spp. in wild rodent fleas during January and October of 2016 along the Alataw Pass-Kazakhstan border. A total of 1,706 fleas belonging to 10 species were collected from 6 rodent species. Among the 10 flea species, 4 were found to be positive for Wolbachia, and 5 flea species were positive for Bartonella. Molecular analysis indicated that i) B. rochalimae was firstly identified in Xenopsylla gerbilli minax and X. conforms conforms, ii) B. grahamii was firstly identified in X. gerbilli minax, and iii) B. elizabethae was firstly detected in Coptopsylla lamellifer ardua, Paradoxopsyllus repandus, and Nosopsyllus laeviceps laeviceps. Additionally, 3 Wolbachia endosymbionts were firstly found in X. gerbilli minax, X. conforms conforms, P. repandus, and N. laeviceps laeviceps. BLASTn analysis indicated 3 Bartonella species showed genotypic variation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 3 Wolbachia endosymbionts were clustered into the non-Siphonaptera Wolbachia group. These findings extend our knowledge of the geographical distribution and carriers of B. rochalimae, B. grahamii, B. elizabethae, and Wolbachia spp. In the future, there is a need for China-Kazakhstan cooperation to strengthen the surveillance of flea-borne pathogens in wildlife.
Bartonella ; Ecosystem ; Lakes ; Rodentia ; Siphonaptera ; Wetlands ; Wolbachia ; Xenopsylla

A study of mammal's flea distribution was conducted during the period 1962 - 2000. About 10,000 fleas were collected from 5,000 host animals of which 43 mammalian species belonging 7 orders distributed in 368 places in 50 provinces and cities over the country. Forty four from 83 or 51.8% (out of total 240 mammalian species found in Vietnam - 34.5%) collected mammals were found infected with flea. These mammals belong 7 orders of Insectivora, Scadenta, Chiroptera, Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Rodentia and Lagomorpha. The flea infection rate of Rodentia and Artiodactyla was 17.9% (27/34) and 31.3% (7/22), respectively. Only two of 79 species of Chiroptera found in Viet Nam were examined and both were found flea infected. However, flea was not found in the four mammalian species of Dermoptera, Primates, Perissodactyla and Pholidota
Fleas ; Epidemiology

An investigation was carried out on 244 rats (71,9% sewer rat; 27,7% black rats, 0,4% house mouse) with various index 30-40, which was increased and kept at high level from March to September. 268 fleas were collected (only 1 species of X.cheopis), the flea index oscillated from 0,11 to 1,90 and reached the highest level in April all isolations determined Y.pestis negatively. Flea resisted to malathion 5%, pyrethroid group was the greatest effectiveness
Plague ; Fleas

OBJECTIVES: Earthquakes are one the most common natural disasters that lead to increased mortality and morbidity from transmissible diseases, partially because the rodents displaced by an earthquake can lead to an increased rate of disease transmission. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of plague and tularemia in rodents in the earthquake zones in southeastern Iran. METHODS: In April 2013, a research team was dispatched to explore the possible presence of diseases in rodents displaced by a recent earthquake magnitude 7.7 around the cities of Khash and Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Rodents were trapped near and in the earthquake zone, in a location where an outbreak of tularemia was reported in 2007. Rodent serums were tested for a serological survey using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In the 13 areas that were studied, nine rodents were caught over a total of 200 trap-days. Forty-eight fleas and 10 ticks were obtained from the rodents. The ticks were from the Hyalomma genus and the fleas were from the Xenopsylla genus. All the trapped rodents were Tatera indica. Serological results were negative for plague, but the serum agglutination test was positive for tularemia in one of the rodents. Tatera indica has never been previously documented to be involved in the transmission of tularemia. CONCLUSIONS: No evidence of the plague cycle was found in the rodents of the area, but evidence was found of tularemia infection in rodents, as demonstrated by a positive serological test for tularemia in one rodent.
Agglutination Tests ; Disasters ; Earthquakes* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Iran* ; Mortality ; Plague* ; Prevalence ; Rodentia* ; Serologic Tests ; Siphonaptera ; Ticks ; Tularemia* ; Xenopsylla

Since 1999, plague incidence tends to decrease and disease is localized in some linited areas in the High Plateaux region. The result of survey on flea and host showed that R.exulans was still predominant host. 100% of flea living on rat belong to X. cheopis species; Y.pestis was found in 3.54% of specimens from rats and in 1.47% of specimens from fleas. The findings suggested X.cheopis and important host (R.exulans) are the main factors of circulation of Y.pestis in the High Plateaux region
Plague ; Animals ; Fleas

Nine species of fleas representing 4 families were collected in 1972 form 14 species of small mammals: 2 hedgehogs, 1 shrew, 2 bats, 8 rodents and 1 mongoose. Most specimens were from 7 localities in Karachi District. Xenopsylla astis accounted for 78% of the 404 fleas collected. Collection data, especially flea-mammal associations and locality records, are presented and discussed.
Ctenocephalides felis felis ; Synosternus pallidus ; Synosternus cleopatrae cleopatrae ; Xenopsylla cheopis ; epidemiology

Tungiasis is an ectoparasitic disease that is caused by the penetration of Tunga penetrans into the epidermis of the host. Tungiasis is indigenous to South Americaand the Caribbean regions, but it has spread to Latin America, India, and sub-Saharan Africa. The area of soft skin such as the soles, toes, webs and subungual regions are the favored sites for sand flea embedding. As the flea enlarges within epidermis a pruritic, painful white or erythematous papulonodule develops. A black central punctum is characteristic. A 32-year-old woman presented with a small black crust on the right sole after traveling to an endemic area(Congo). Histopathologic examination revealed the internal organs of the arthropod embedded intothe epidermis, which allowed a definitive diagnosis of tungiasis. Although tungiasis is common in endemic areas, there has been no report of tungiasis in the Korean literature. We report herein an interesting case of tungiasis in a patient after traveling to Congo.
Adult ; Africa South of the Sahara ; Arthropods ; Caribbean Region ; Congo ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; India ; Latin America ; Siphonaptera ; Skin ; Toes ; Tunga ; Tungiasis

A survey on rats and rat-fleas was performed in costal area of Korea during 1972 in Inchon, Kunsan, Yosu, Busan and other areas. The number of the caught rats was 1,448. Total number of collected fleas was 2,480. Geographical distribution were described. Flea index was in 1.71 total. Mothly flea indices were 0.35-0.84 in January to March, 2.13-2.59 in April to June, 0.58 in July and 1.82-4.91 in August to November. Mortality rate of X. cheopsis to various concentration of DDT in 1 hour exposure were 43.8 % in 4.0 %, 30.4 % in 1.0 %. In 24 hours exposure, the mortalities were 100 % in 4.0 %, 91.5 % in 2.0 %, 73.5 % in 1.0 % and 37.0 % in 0.5 % DDT.
parasitology-arthropoda-flea ; rat ; Xenopsylla cheopis ; Monopsyllus anisus ; Nosopsyllus fasciatus ; Leptopsylla segnis ; Ctenophthalmus cong. congeneroides ; Ctenocephalides canis ; Nosopsyllus nicanus ; Rhadinopsylla attenuata ; epidemiology ; insecticide ; DDT-chemotherapy ; DDT

Backgound: Plague disease is one of three most seriously infectious diseases (plague, yellow fever and cholera disease). In Vietnam, this condition has been obviously controlled. The number of new cases and deaths of plague disease have decreased significantly: from 439.6 patients between 1991 and 1995 to 161.2 patients between 1996 and 2000. However, the disease is still circulating in some areas in the world. Objective: To survey plague disease related factors (rats and fleas) at Noi Bai international airport. Subjects and method: A surveillance to inspect plague disease related factors (rats and fleas) was conducted at Noi Bai international airport, Ha Noi, from January/2006 to December/2006. Results and Conclusion: There were two types of rats: R. flavipectus in majority and R. norvegicus. The enrichment index of the two kinds of rats had increased in April and May. R. flavipectus disposed at flat form T1 and R. norvegicus disposed at store area. The only flea species found at the surveillance site was X.cheopis. Bacterial isolation of 236 specimens of liver and spleen, and ELISA tests of 180 blood samples were performed. All of the specimens were negative to Yersinia pestis. The study suggests that the rat populations at Noi Bai airport have not been infected with Yesinia pestis.
Plague/ epidemiology ; pathology ; Siphonaptera/ pathogenicity ; Rats ;

Normal Bangkok strain of X. cheopis which had little resistance to DDT in 1966 became moderately resistant in 1972 without any direct exposure to the insecticide. It was analyzed that the causes of resistance gaining were as follows. First, the possibility of being exposed unconsciously to DDT spray under malaria eradication program could not be ruled out, even in laboratory as far as ventilation windows would be open sometime. Insecticides from air spray through the window influenced the fleas kept in the pools. Second, it may be said that initial resistance to DDT has become greater and greater ecologically without any exposure of insecticides. A highly resistant strain of X. cheopis which survived after contacting 4% DDT for five times during one year period was obtained in the laboratory and it showed 100% survival at the highest concentration (4%) of DDT paper by 24 hour exposure. The hybrid forms between normal Bangkok strain and artificially mutated "Resistant Strain" were obtained by mixing the above two colonies. Regardless to the sexes of both ancestors, the results of resistance tests of hybrids showed that artificially gained resistance of fleas to DDT was inherited possibly by recessive hereditary role by pheonotype.
parasitology-arthropoda-flea-Xenopsylla cheopis ; resistance-DDT ; Bangkok strain ; DDT