Fleas (Siphonaptera) infesting birds of West Siberian plain

The four species of fleas associated with birds in West Siberian Plain have been recorded. Ceratophyllus styx is a specific parasite of Riparia riparia. Ceratophyllus garei, C. gallinae, and C. tribulis parasitize various setting of birds.     

Fleas of the Lake Evoron vole (Siphonaptera)

In Lower Priamurje in summer of 1977-1979 Microtus evoronensis was parasitized mainly by fleas of Ceratophyllus calcarifer. Other seven species of fleas recorded from this animal are very rare. They are connected, in general, with other small mammals and birds.     

Chewing lice (Mallophaga) on birds in the Central Ciscaucasia

Mallophaga parasitizing wild and domestic birds in the Central Ciscaucasia were studied; 8805 chewing lice specimens were collected and identified. At present, 102 species of Mallophaga are known from this territory, including 15 species recorded in the Central Ciscaucasia for the first time. Most of the chewing lice species in the region under study are parasites of Passeriformes. Species diversity of chewing lice connected with each of other 12 bird orders is several times lesser. The exchange of chewing lice between some species of hosts, particularly between domestic and wild birds, seems possible.     

Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Rodents in the Eastern Caucasian Highland Natural Plague Focus

Entomological Review - The Eastern Caucasian highland natural plague focus is located on the northern slope of the Main Caucasian Range. This peculiar region has a rich fauna of rodent fleas...     

Parasite island syndromes in the context of nidicolous ectoparasites: Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) in wild passerine birds from Azores Archipelago

Island syndrome, previously established for isolation process of insular vertebrates' populations, have been adapted to insular parasites communities, termed parasite island syndromes. In this work, were studied for the first time the insular syndromes for nidicolous ectoparasites of the bird species, Turdus merula, Sylvia atricapilla, Fringilla coelebs and Erithacus rubecula from Azores and the mainland Portugal. Flea species were only recorded on Azorean birds, namely Dasypsyllus gallinulae and Ctenocephalides felis felis, known as not host-specific parasites. In the absence of shared flea species between mainland and islands birds, a comparison among our fleas prevalence to Azores Islands and mainland fleas prevalence, recorded to others European studies, showed that Azorean host populations undergo higher prevalence than the mainland one. This result was consistent with parasite island syndromes predictions recorded to ectoparasites, hippoboscid flies and chewing lice, that fleas have higher prevalence on the Azores Islands compared to mainland Portugal. However, our results provide a new perspective to parasite island syndromes assumptions, namely in the context of nidicolous ectoparasites that spend only brief periods on the hosts' body.     

Fleas of small mammals and birds in the forest-park area of the city of Novosibirsk

The distribution of fleas of small mammals and birds in the nidi of tick-borne encephalitis was analysed. 23 species were recorded from the forest-park zone. Palaeopsylla soricis starki, Amalaraeus penicilliger penicilliger, Megabothris rectangulatus, Ctenophthalmus assimilis, Hystrichopsylla talpae were dominant. They amounted to 90% of the total number of fleas. The greatest species variety of fleas was noted in afforested low-lying parts with rich species composition of hosts.     

Chewing lice (Mallophaga: Insecta) of birds in the Central Ciscaucasia

Collections of 8805 individuals of chewing lice from wild and domestic fowl in the Central Ciscaucasia were processed. According to original and literary data, 102 species of Mallophaga are known from this territory; 15 of them were recorded for the first time. Most of all the chewing lice species known in the territory are parasites of passerine birds; the number of species associated with each of the 12 remaining bird orders of birds is several times smaller. An exchange of chewing lice between some species of hosts, including domestic and wild fowl, is possible.     

Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Carnivores (Mammalia,Carnivora) of the Russian Far East

Entomological Review - Ten flea species were collected in 2012–2017 from 6 species of carnivores in Primorsky Territory and Sakhalin Province of Russia. The most complete collections of fleas...     

Bartonella Genotypes in Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) Collected from Rodents in the Negev Desert,Israel

Fleas collected from rodents in the Negev Desert in southern Israel were molecularly screened for Bartonella species. A total of 1,148 fleas, collected from 122 rodents belonging to six species, were pooled in 245 pools based on flea species, sex, and rodent host species. Two Bartonella gene fragments, corresponding to RNA polymerase B (rpoB) and citrate synthase (gltA), were targeted, and 94 and 74 flea pools were found positive by PCR, respectively. The Bartonella 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was also targeted, and 66 flea pools were found to be positive by PCR. Sixteen different Bartonella gltA genotypes were detected in 94 positive flea pools collected from 5 different rodent species, indicating that fleas collected from each rodent species can harbor several Bartonella genotypes. Based on gltA analysis, identified Bartonella genotypes were highly similar or identical to strains previously detected in rodent species from different parts of the world. A gltA fragment 100% similar to Bartonella henselae was detected in one flea pool. Another 2 flea pools contained gltA fragments that were closely related to B. henselae (98% similarity). The high sequence similarities to the zoonotic pathogen B. henselae warrant further investigation.Bartonellae are small Gram-negative bacilli belonging to the alpha-2 subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Different Bartonella species were detected in a wide range of vertebrate animals. There are currently 30 known species or subspecies, among which 14 have been associated with human diseases (7). Bartonella organisms are parasites of mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells and are transmitted by fleas and lice and potentially by other blood-feeding arthropods such as ticks and flies (2). Infection in the natural host commonly causes a chronic bacteremia, which is asymptomatic in most cases.Rodents are being extensively studied and were found to have a high prevalence of Bartonella infection, with a high diversity of Bartonella spp. and strains (3). The close contacts between human and rodent populations around the world create excellent conditions for transmission of Bartonella spp. from animals to humans (28). The transmission routes of Bartonella bacteria by arthropod vectors among rodents and between rodents and other mammalian hosts have public health implications. In order to understand the extent to which rodents serve as source of human infections, investigations of rodent-borne Bartonella are essential (28). A few cases of human infections with Bartonella bacteria of rodent origin have been reported: B. elizabethae was associated with endocarditis, B. washoensis was associated with cases of myocarditis and meningitis, B. vinsonii subsp. arupensis was reported to cause fever and neurologic symptoms, and B. grahamii was isolated from the intraocular fluids of a patient with neuroretinitis (5, 11, 12, 25, 29).An earlier survey carried out in the Tel Aviv region, Israel, demonstrated the occurrence of Bartonella strains closely related to B. elizabethae and B. tribocorum in commensal rats (Rattus rattus) (8). Another study has surveyed wild rodents and their fleas for Bartonella spp. in 19 geographical locations in Israel from the Upper Galilee in the north to Beer Sheba in the south. Bartonella DNA was detected in spleen samples of 19 out of 79 (24%) black rats (R. rattus), in 1 of 4 (25%) Cairo spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus), and in 15 of 34 (44%) flea pools collected from black rats (R. rattus) (21). The objectives of the current study were to screen fleas collected from rodents inhabiting the Negev Desert south to Beer Sheba for Bartonella infection and to compare Bartonella prevalences between male and female fleas.     

Mesostigmatic mites associated with birds and mammals in Iran. A review

There are diverse relationships between mites and birds or mammals. These mites may play an important role in epizootics and in the perpetuation of some significant diseases. The purpose of this study is to revise the current knowledge of mesostigmatic mites occurring on birds, including their nests and mammals and their substrates, in Iran and to compare the results with other regions of the Palearctic ecozone. This study presents a revised list of 38 species of mesostigmatic mite occuring on birds (17 species) and mammals (24 species) or in their nests/substrates in Iran. Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus sylviarum and Parasitus hyalinus were found on both birds and mammals. The species composition of mites reported in Iran was compared with other regions of the Palearctic ecozone. Parasites, specifically those from genera Dermanyssus, Ornithonyssus and Liponyssoides, may be hazardous to human health. Species from these genera were predominant among the reported mites.     

Patterns of Formation of the Fauna of Fleas (Siphonaptera) Parasitizing Mammals in the Stavropol Upland and Adjacent Territories

According to the recent data, 55 species of fleas parasitizing 65 species of mammals were recorded in the Stavropol Upland (central Ciscaucasia, Russia). The fauna of the region comprises 87% of the total species composition of Ciscaucasian fleas. Most of these species are widely distributed on the Caucasian Isthmus and also in the Eastern Mediterranean. Of them, 14 species are polyzonal, 14 mostly occur in forest-steppes, 7 in foreststeppes and steppes, 12 in steppes and semi-deserts, and 7 species occur in semi-deserts. According to paleogeographic reconstructions, in the Pliocene the Stavropol Upland was colonized by the flea species from the forest landscapes of Southern Europe and also of Southwest Asia and Asia Minor. Later, in the Pleistocene and Holocene, the Caucasian Isthmus continued to be colonized by mesophilous species from Southern Europe and by semi-desert species from Southern Siberia and the Turanian Province.     

Detection of Rickettsia felis,Rickettsia typhi,Bartonella Species and Yersinia pestis in Fleas (Siphonaptera) from Africa

Little is known about the presence/absence and prevalence of Rickettsia spp, Bartonella spp. and Yersinia pestis in domestic and urban flea populations in tropical and subtropical African countries.

Methodology/Principal findings

Fleas collected in Benin, the United Republic of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were investigated for the presence and identity of Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp. and Yersinia pestis using two qPCR systems or qPCR and standard PCR. In Xenopsylla cheopis fleas collected from Cotonou (Benin), Rickettsia typhi was detected in 1% (2/199), and an uncultured Bartonella sp. was detected in 34.7% (69/199). In the Lushoto district (United Republic of Tanzania), R. typhi DNA was detected in 10% (2/20) of Xenopsylla brasiliensis, and Rickettsia felis was detected in 65% (13/20) of Ctenocephalides felis strongylus, 71.4% (5/7) of Ctenocephalides canis and 25% (5/20) of Ctenophthalmus calceatus calceatus. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, R. felis was detected in 56.5% (13/23) of Ct. f. felis from Kinshasa, in 26.3% (10/38) of Ct. f. felis and 9% (1/11) of Leptopsylla aethiopica aethiopica from Ituri district and in 19.2% (5/26) of Ct. f. strongylus and 4.7% (1/21) of Echidnophaga gallinacea. Bartonella sp. was also detected in 36.3% (4/11) of L. a. aethiopica. Finally, in Ituri, Y. pestis DNA was detected in 3.8% (1/26) of Ct. f. strongylus and 10% (3/30) of Pulex irritans from the villages of Wanyale and Zaa.

Conclusion

Most flea-borne infections are neglected diseases which should be monitored systematically in domestic rural and urban human populations to assess their epidemiological and clinical relevance. Finally, the presence of Y. pestis DNA in fleas captured in households was unexpected and raises a series of questions regarding the role of free fleas in the transmission of plague in rural Africa, especially in remote areas where the flea density in houses is high.     

Rapid warming is associated with population decline among terrestrial birds and mammals globally

Animal populations have undergone substantial declines in recent decades. These declines have occurred alongside rapid, human‐driven environmental change, including climate warming. An association between population declines and environmental change is well established, yet there has been relatively little analysis of the importance of the rates of climate warming and its interaction with conversion to anthropogenic land use in causing population declines. Here we present a global assessment of the impact of rapid climate warming and anthropogenic land use conversion on 987 populations of 481 species of terrestrial birds and mammals since 1950. We collated spatially referenced population trends of at least 5 years’ duration from the Living Planet database and used mixed effects models to assess the association of these trends with observed rates of climate warming, rates of conversion to anthropogenic land use, body mass, and protected area coverage. We found that declines in population abundance for both birds and mammals are greater in areas where mean temperature has increased more rapidly, and that this effect is more pronounced for birds. However, we do not find a strong effect of conversion to anthropogenic land use, body mass, or protected area coverage. Our results identify a link between rapid warming and population declines, thus supporting the notion that rapid climate warming is a global threat to biodiversity.     

Morphological Diversity of the Skeletal Structures and Problems of Classification of Fleas (Siphonaptera). Part 6

The structure of 76 skeletal elements of adult fleas was analyzed, and the distribution of 114 characters with 446 character states over the body tagmata, segments, and morphofunctional complexes was investigated. Among them, 40% of the characters (40) and their states (163) describe the diversity of the structures of the frontal complex (including those of the head and prothorax), which is related to the specific features of flea parasitism. A large part of the characters (18) and their states (83) describe the structures of the nototrochanteral complex of the meso- and metathorax responsible for jumping. The total number of all types of homoplasies (258 states) is almost 1.8 times as great as the number of the states (145) that may be regarded as synapomorphies. The ancestral states (43) comprise a smaller portion of the total number. The proportion of the synapomorphic and homoplastic character states varies between the morphofunctional complexes.     

Host distribution and pathogen infection of fleas (Siphonaptera) recovered from small mammals in Pennsylvania

The number of recognized flea‐borne pathogens has increased over the past decade. However, the true number of infections related to all flea‐borne pathogens remains unknown. To better understand the enzootic cycle of flea‐borne pathogens, fleas were sampled from small mammals trapped in central Pennsylvania. A total of 541 small mammals were trapped, with white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and southern red‐backed voles (Myodes gapperi) accounting for over 94% of the captures. Only P. leucopus were positive for examined blood‐borne pathogens, with 47 (18.1%) and ten (4.8%) positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, respectively. In addition, 61 fleas were collected from small mammals and tested for pathogens. Orchopeas leucopus was the most common flea and Bartonella vinsonii subspecies arupensis, B. microti, and a Rickettsia felis‐like bacterium were detected in various flea samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. microti DNA detected from a flea and the first report of a R. felis‐like bacterium from rodent fleas in eastern North America. This study provides evidence of emerging pathogens found in fleas, but further investigation is required to resolve the ecology of flea‐borne disease transmission cycles.     

Diversity of Plague Vectors: Fleas of the Genus Frontopsylla Wagner et Ioff, 1926 (Siphonaptera,Leptopsyllidae)

Entomological Review - The taxonomic diversity, distribution patterns, and host-parasite relationships of fleas of the Palaearctic genus Frontopsylla (Leptopsyllidae, Paradoxopsyllinae) are...     

Interactions of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) in birds and mammals

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) regulates secretion of both of the gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone. Thus, it is a key hormone for vertebrate reproduction. GnRH was considered to be unusual among hypothalamic neuropeptides in that it appeared to have no direct antagonist, although some neurochemicals and peripheral hormones (opiates, GABA, gonadal steroids, inhibin) can modulate gonadotropin release to a degree. Five years ago, a vertebrate hypothalamic neuropeptide that inhibited pituitary gonadotropin release in a dose-dependent manner was discovered in quail by Tsutsui et al. (2000. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 275:661-667). We now know that this inhibitory peptide, named gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone, or GnIH, is a regulator of gonadotropin release in vitro and in vivo. Its discovery has opened the door to an entirely new line of research within the realm of reproductive biology. In our collaborative studies, we have begun to elucidate the manner in which GnIH interacts with GnRH to time release of gonadotropins and thus time reproductive activity in birds and mammals. This paper reviews the distribution of GnIH in songbirds relative to GnRHs, and our findings on its modes of action in vitro and in vivo, based on laboratory and field studies. These data are simultaneously compared with our findings in mammals, highlighting how the use of different model species within different vertebrate classes can be a useful approach to identify the conserved actions of this novel neuropeptide, along with its potential importance to vertebrate reproduction.