Ectoparasitos de roedores da região urbana de Belo Horizonte, MG: II. Oscilações dos índices de infestação em Rattus norvegicus norvegicus

Abstract

The indices of infestation by the mites Echinolaelaps echidninus and Laelaps nuttalli, the louse Popyplax spinulosa and the flea Xenopsylla cheopis, obtained monthly, from June 1980 to September 1982, on Rattus norvegicus norvegicus in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil were related to seasonal period, sex of the host and area of capture. Mites and insects showed different behaviour in relation to these factors. Only the fleas and lice exhibit significant association between the rodents' infestation and the seasonal period, or between the infestation and the rodents' sex or else a variation of the distribution by the three main areas of capture. The fleas showed the highest indices of infestation in the warm-rainy season (October to March) while the infestation by the lice was more prevalent in the dry-cool season. The climatic factors most related with the hosts' infestation were, in decreasing order, rainfall, temperature and relative humidity. Fleas and lice preferentially infested male rodents, being infestation by X. cheopis highly significant.

Parasite populations in the brown rat Rattus norvegicus from Doha, Qatar between years: the effect of host age, sex and density

“…In the rabbit, adult females harbour more fleas than the males (Twigg et al, 1998) and this was linked with responses by fleas to hormone levels in female rabbits (Rust & Dryden, 1997). On the other hand in rat populations examined by Linardi et al (1985), males were more heavily infested with Xenopsylla cheopis than females and this was arguably attributed to the larger home range of male rats. As in 1999 (Abu-Madi et al, 2001) no quantitative interactions were detected between the flea, X. astia and the cestode, H. diminuta.…”

Prevalence of Trypanosoma lewisi in Rattus norvegicus from Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…These higher prevalences could be attributed to ecological and behavioral factors. Male rats have larger home ranges, show territorial behavior and are significantly more infested by X. cheopis than females (Linardi et al 1985a), increasing their chances of being infected by T. lewisi infections.…”

Infestation and Seasonal Fluctuation of Gamasid Mites (Parasitiformes: Gamasida) on Indochinese Forest Rat, Rattus andamanensis (Rodentia: Muridae) in Southern Yunnan of China

“…To date, L. nuttalli and L . echidninus have been found on the body surface of more than 30 host species which involves rodents, insectivores, pikas and tree shrews, and some rat species of the genus Rattus , e.g., R. tanezumi Temminck, 1844, R. norvegicus Berkenhout, 1769, R. nitidus Hodgson, 1845, R. losea Swinhoe, 1871 and R. andamanensis , are the most common hosts [ 2 , 6 , 8 , 69 , 70 ]. Laelaps nuttalli and L. echidninus can invade human beings to cause skin irritation and dermatitis [ 71 ].…”