Effects of food abundance, age, and flea infestation on the body condition and immunological variables of a rodent host, and their consequences for flea survival

Temporal variation in body condition and immunological variables of animals that harbor parasites may explain patterns of variation in infestation, as well as parasite impact on the host. We emulated such variability in Sundevall's jirds by manipulating food availability and flea infestation in juveniles and adults and examining how these changes affect survival of fleas on their hosts. Body condition of food-restricted jirds deteriorated, but there was no change in their immunological variables. Adult jirds were in better body condition and had higher immunocompetence than juveniles, however there were no significant effects of flea infestation on any of the variables examined. The main effects of flea infestation were a decrease in the response to phytohaemagglutinin injection, and an increase in the negative effects of food restriction on body mass. Flea survival was higher on juveniles, but fleas did not respond to temporal variability in body condition and immunocompetence of the jirds. We concluded that changes in body condition and immune responses due to growth or variability in food abundance are more important than changes caused by the fleas themselves. Flea infestation is more detrimental to jirds when they are not able to compensate for mass loss through increased food consumption.     

云南省剑川县鼠疫自然疫源地宿主媒介情况分析

了解鼠疫自然疫源地的宿主、媒介群落结构及其种群动态,为提出针对性的鼠疫防控策略与机制提供依据.云南省剑川县属于齐氏姬鼠和大绒鼠鼠疫自然疫源地的核心区,该区域小型兽类种类丰富,存在2种类型鼠疫菌,为进一步研究疫源地的演变提供了重要的现场模型.本文对剑川县1976-2019年鼠疫监测资料进行整理和分析,发现该疫源地室内共捕...     

Abundances and host relationships of chigger mites in Yunnan Province,China

This paper reports on ectoparasitic chigger mites found on small mammals in Yunnan Province, southwest China. Data were accumulated from 19 investigation sites (counties) between 2001 and 2009. A total of 10 222 small mammal hosts were captured and identified; these represented 62 species, 34 genera and 11 families in five orders. From the body surfaces of these 10 222 hosts, a total of 92 990 chigger mites were collected and identified microscopically. These represented 224 species, 22 genera and three subfamilies in the family Trombiculidae (Trombidiformes). Small mammals were commonly found to be infested by chigger mites and most host species harboured several species of mite. The species diversity of chigger mites in Yunnan was much higher than diversities reported previously in other provinces of China and in other countries. A single species of rodent, Eothenomys miletus (Rodentia: Cricetidae), carried 111 species of chigger mite, thus demonstrating the highest species diversity and heaviest mite infestation of all recorded hosts. This diversity is exceptional compared with that of other ectoparasites. Of the total 224 mite species, 21 species accounted for 82.2% of all mites counted. Two species acting as major vectors for scrub typhus (tsutsugamushi disease), Leptotrombidium scutellare and Leptotrombidium deliense, were identified as the dominant mite species in this sample. In addition to these two major vectors, 12 potential or suspected vector species were found. Most species of chigger mite had a wide range of hosts and low host specificity. For example, L. scutellare parasitized 30 species of host. The low host specificity of chigger mites may increase their probability of encountering humans, as well as their transmission of scrub typhus among different hosts. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that similarities between different chigger mite communities on the 18 main species of small mammal host did not accord with the taxonomic affinity of the hosts. This suggests that the distribution of chigger mites may be strongly influenced by the environment in which hosts live.     

云南省玉龙鼠疫疫源地野外鼠形动物寄生蚤丰盛度影响因素分析

【目的】分析云南省玉龙鼠疫疫源地野外鼠形动物寄生蚤丰盛度的影响因素。【方法】选取云南省玉龙鼠疫疫源地3个海拔区域,按4个季节进行野外捕鼠,捕获的鼠形动物用梳检法收集体表寄生蚤并在显微镜下分类鉴定。通过实际测量和实地观察相结合的方式收集潜在影响鼠形动物寄生蚤丰盛度的因素包括鼠形动物特征变量指标(如种类、年龄、性别、体长、体重)、环境和气象因子(如海拔、季节)等数据。采用EpiData 3.02软件建立数据库,在R软件下使用跨栏负二项分布回归分析鼠形动物寄生蚤丰盛度的影响因素。【结果】从捕获的884只鼠形动物中检获寄生蚤9种484头,以特新蚤指名亚种、方叶栉眼蚤、无值大锥蚤、云南栉眼蚤为主(86.16%)。回归分析显示： 2 700-3 000 m和3 000 m以上海拔鼠形动物染蚤概率较2 400-2 700 m分别增加1.27和3.72倍;湿度高于70%时,鼠形动物染蚤概率较湿度≤70%时减少41%;与齐氏姬鼠的染蚤概率相比,中华姬鼠的染蚤概率降低50%,大绒鼠的染蚤概率增加79%;体长超过104 mm的鼠形动物染蚤概率较体长≤104 mm的鼠形动物染蚤概率增加76%;气温高于15℃时,鼠形动物染蚤数量较温度≤15℃时降低67%;成年鼠形动物的染蚤数量较未成年鼠形动物的染蚤数量增加2.25倍;与春季相比,夏季的染蚤数量增加2.00倍,秋季的染蚤概率减少48%,冬季的染蚤概率和染蚤数量分别增加1.44和1.06倍。【结论】玉龙鼠疫疫源地野外鼠形动物寄生蚤以特新蚤指名亚种、方叶栉眼蚤、无值大锥蚤、云南栉眼蚤为优势蚤种。鼠形动物寄生蚤丰盛度与海拔、季节、气温、湿度等环境气象因子及鼠形动物种类、体长、年龄等鼠形动物特征变量密切相关。     

云南德宏傣族传统村落植物景观及应用研究

传统村落的植物景观反应了一个民族在长期实践中积累的植物认知和应用经验,该研究对云南省德宏州大盈江、瑞丽江流域的19个傣族传统村落进行了植物景观及应用调查。结果表明:德宏傣族传统村落植物景观水平分布为寨外(山林绿块+农田绿块+护堤绿带)——寨边(防护绿环+高山榕绿块)——寨内(绿点+绿线)的格局;垂直分布有5个景观层次;村寨内常见植物共181种,73科;村寨内植物多为人工栽培,具较强实用性,主要应用功能集中在食用、药用、观赏、防护隔离、香薰调味等方面;傣寨植物人文景观具宗教色彩。建议加强植物水平分布的空间联系,建立稳定的绿地系统格局;保持植物垂直景观层次,推广植物的建造功能应用;充分利用植物资源,形成产业优势;传承优秀的植物文化景观。推广植物在村落建设中的传统应用经验,促进民族村落与植物的可持续保护与发展,为德宏傣族人居环境建设与民族植物学应用提供科学依据。     

滇西南稻区白背飞虱种群特征及其关键影响因子

为明确滇西南沧源县稻区白背飞虱Sogatella furcifera的种群发生特征及其影响因子,于2010-2019年通过灯诱监测和田间调查的方法,分析沧源县白背飞虱的越冬种群、灯诱种群及田间种群发生特征,并对白背飞虱种群数量的影响因素进行相关性分析.结果表明:(1)白背飞虱以成、若虫在再生稻、落粒稻上越冬,越冬虫量最...     

Physiological dormancy in seeds of two endemic species of Begonia from Yunnan Province,China: diagnosis and classification

With the purpose of assessing the status of dormancy in seeds of two Begonia species (Begonia lithophila and Begonia guishanensis), freshly matured seeds were given gibberellic acid and moist chilling and allowed to dry after ripening. The seeds were then germinated on media with or without KNO₃ at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 18/25°C. All three treatments significantly increased germination percentages. Examination by X‐ray revealed that seeds of both species have a fully developed embryo and thus have no morphological component of dormancy; seeds readily imbibed water and KNO₃ solution. Therefore, we conclude that seeds of the two Begonia species have non‐deep physiological dormancy. Although KNO₃ significantly increased germination in both species, alternating temperatures did not, suggesting that the most favorable microhabitat for germination is small‐scale disturbances under the forest canopy.     

Phylogenetic analysis of Bartonella detected in rodent fleas in Yunnan, China

Previous studies have demonstrated a diversity of Bartonella spp. in rodent populations in Yunnan Province, China. Although Bartonella spp. have been isolated from cat fleas and cattle ticks collected from their animal hosts, little is known about Bartonella carried by rodent fleas. In this study, Bartonella DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in two of five species of rodent fleas. These included Xenopsylla cheopis and Ctenophthalmus lushuiensis, which were collected from Rattus tanezumi flavipectus and from the nests of voles, respectively, during 1997 from two sites in western Yunnan Province, China. Sequence analysis of the Bartonella citrate synthase gene (gltA) amplicons obtained from six of 65 grouped flea samples showed that Bartonella genetic variants were clustered in four groups. One from Xenopsylla cheopis was identical to Bartonella tribocorum, whereas the other three genotypes from Ctenophthalmus lushuiensis were related to the vole-associated Bartonella isolates and cat-associated Bartonella clarridgeiae. This is the first detection of this Bartonella variant from fleas in China. Therefore, further investigations are needed to clarify the distribution of Bartonella in rodents and their ectoparasites in China to define the role of these arthropods in the transmission routes of Bartonella.     

Blood-feeding of the gerbil flea Nosopsyllus laeviceps kuzenkovi (Yagubyants), vector of plague in Inner Mongolia,China

Abstract. The gerbil flea Nosopsyllus laeviceps (Wagner) (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) is an important Palaearctic vector of enzootic plague among sylvan and campestral rodents. Laboratory blood-feeding experiments with the subspecies N.l.kuzenkovi (Yagubynts) from Inner Mongolia, China, using three rodent species including the natural host Meriones unguiculatus (Milne-Edwards), demonstrated a positive relationship between per cent feeding and time allowed for feeding, particularly for female fleas. Also the bloodmeal size was proportional to sucking time and was significantly greater in females, which are larger, than in males. However, on all four strains of host tested, there was no significant correlation between the feeding success rate of the fleas and the amount of blood they imbibed. Fleas fed better on active compared to confined M.unguiculatus. These findings agree with studies of other flea species.     

云南横断山区蚤类物种丰富度与区系的垂直分布格局

为探讨横断山区蚤类物种丰富度与区系垂直分布格局的基本规律以及影响它们分布的主要生态因子,本文以云南西部横断山区18个山峰为主体,对海拔高度在1000–5000m之间已知分布的9科43属142种(亚种)蚤类的垂直分布资料进行综合整理和统计分析。结果显示:(1)蚤类的属丰富度、物种丰富度、特有种丰富度和特有度以及不同区系成分物种丰富度的垂直分布都呈现随海拔先增高后降低的单峰分布格局,最大峰值出现在中山海拔2500–3800m之间;(2)东洋和古北两区系成分物种构成比的垂直分布格局截然不同,前者随着海拔梯度的升高基本递减,后者则随着海拔的升高递增,垂直分布格局反映了它们沿纬度梯度分布的一般规律;(3)聚类分析将横断山9个不同海拔带的蚤类归为6个生态类型,反映出海拔高度、气候环境和森林植被等重要因素对蚤类分布的影响以及蚤类群落的组成、分布沿海拔梯度变化的一般规律,表达了蚤类分布与环境条件的统一性;(4)β多样性沿海拔梯度呈现为双峰形分布格局,两高峰值都反映出蚤类的组成和分布在不同气候环境和植被带之间的过渡与转变,说明β多样性垂直分布格局与海拔梯度上的气候和生境的变化程度有关。研究认为,中山地段物种丰富度高峰的形成主要是由于两大动、植物区系过渡区的边缘效应和山地水湿条件的影响。影响该区域蚤类垂直分布格局的综合因素有山体海拔高度、动植物区系过渡区的边缘效应、山地雨量分配特征、气候环境条件以及人们的生产活动等。     

Distribution and insecticide resistance of the plague flea Xenopsylla cheopis in Maharashtra State, India

Distributions are reported for commensal rat fleas, predominantly Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild), in the State of Maharashtra, India, including the city of Bombay, during 1965-80. The X.cheopis flea index was high in most parts of Maharashtra, but low in Bombay. Rattus rattus Linnaeus is the principal host of X.cheopis, but the host range includes Bandicota bengalensis Gray, Golunda ellioti Gray, Mus musculus Linnaeus, Rattus blandfordi Thomas, R. norvegicus Berkenhout, Suncus caerulaeus Lerr, S. murinus Linnaeus and Tatera indica Hardwicke. X.cheopis was found to have high degrees of resistance to DDT, malathion and fenthion, tolerance to gamma HCH (= gamma BCH) but susceptibility to dieldrin. This insecticide resistance situation may contribute to the high flea indices prevailing in the state, with consequent risks of plague outbreaks. Two other species of rat flea, X.astia Rothschild and X.brasiliensis (Baker) were found to be less common than previously recorded. Their apparent replacement by X.cheopis is tentatively attributed, at least partly, to the selective advantage of insecticide resistance in the latter species.     

中国鼠疫宿主鼠类丰富度格局及疫区环境因子分析

鼠疫等媒介疾病地理分布规律的认识对于疫病防控具有重要意义,分析影响疾病地理分布的因素进而预测疾病发生趋势已经成为目前研究的热点。本文在分析鼠间鼠疫及其宿主鼠类地理分布数据以及相关环境数据的基础上,探讨了鼠疫宿主丰富度与环境因子的关系以及影响鼠间鼠疫发生的主要环境因素。我国的鼠疫宿主鼠类在干旱区和季风区过渡带的县级行政单元中物种丰富度最高,物种丰富度与高度差正相关性最高。发生鼠间鼠疫的地区,宿主鼠类丰富度较高,未发生鼠间鼠疫的地区,宿主鼠类丰富度较低。影响鼠间鼠疫发生的主要环境因子包括蚤类物种数、年均气温、年降雨量、年均相对湿度和年日照时数和气候因子,其次是包括高度差、植被类型数、土壤类型数和地貌类型数的景观因子,以及反映海拔和宿主鼠类物种数的地形和宿主鼠类因子。在未来全国气候变干变暖条件下,我国鼠间鼠疫发病区可能随宿主鼠类的迁移而扩展。     

Field efficacy of deltamethrin for rodent flea control in San Bernardino County, California, USA.

A study was conducted to determine the initial and residual activity of deltamethrin (0.05% dust) applied to rodent burrows (at approximately 14 g/burrow) against fleas in the Silverwood Lake area of San Bernardino County. In initial toxicity (2-d post-treatment), deltamethrin provided 97% flea control and in residual toxicity it resulted in 68% control of the rodent fleas at 15-d post-treatment. The flea fauna consisted of Oropsylla montana (89.9%) and Hoplopsylls anomalus (10.1%). All rodents captured in this study were California ground squirrels, Spermophilus beecheyi. In mark-release-recapture trials, using the microchip identification implant method at the treatment site, the recapture rate of rodents was 29% from 2- to 58-d post-treatment, declining to 21% after 98 d. In the tail-clip method at the treatment site, the recapture rate of 40% at 15-d post-treatment rose to 87% and 73% at 56- and 58-d post-treatment, respectively. At the control site, the recapture rate of 100% at 15-d post-post-treatment dropped to 20% after 98 d. In another trial at Camp Cedar Crest in the Running Springs area, deltamethrin applied to rodent burrows resulted in 70% control of fleas infesting S. beecheyi. Based on the two trials, deltamethrin showed a good initial control of rodent fleas in enzootic or epizootic plague control.     

滇南勐宋热带山地雨林木质藤本多样性研究

调查滇南勐宋山地雨林沟谷与坡地两种生境中木质藤本种的丰富度、径级分布、攀缘方式以及样地中被藤本缠绕的树木(dbh≥5cm)的数量和比率。结果表明:沟谷与坡地胸径≥1cm的木质藤本平均密度分别为95.7株/0.1hm2、57株/0.1hm2。调查样地内木质藤本共64种,隶属30个科。茎缠绕是最主要的攀缘方式,占总个体数的57%,卷须缠绕种所占比重最小,仅占3%;沟谷与坡地所调查树木被木质藤本缠绕的比例分别为43.7%和28.6%。与亚洲其它热带地区森林相比,勐宋地区藤本的多样性低,但是木质藤本的密度相当高,并且在一些样地中出现了大型木质藤本,这些可能与该地区森林的演替状态有关。     

滇西北鼠疫自然疫源地齐氏姬鼠和大绒鼠对不同生境的选择

对仓山和洱海国家自然保护区4种年龄的森林以及周边的农田、果园、荒山灌丛和非保护区6种年龄的森林中齐氏姬鼠（Apodemus chevrieri）和大绒鼠（Eothenomys miletus）的种群数量进行了调查,研究了森林中2种小兽与栖境因子的关系以及人类活动对其种群数量的影响。结果表明,齐氏姬鼠和大绒鼠的生态位宽度分别为0．706和0．641,生态位重叠度为0．831。聚类分析显示：农田中2种小兽的种群数量最高;在非保护区森林、灌丛和果园,齐氏姬鼠和大绒鼠的数量显著低于农田,而高于保护区森林。人类干扰活动对森林底层植物有显著影响,能显著降低灌木的覆盖度、物种多度（除了6～10年生的森林）和密度,而增加草本植物的覆盖度和密度。回归结果表明,2种小兽的数量与森林草本植物的覆盖度呈正相关,而与灌木的密度呈负相关。     

Biodiversity of Bitahai Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, China

Bitahai Nature Reserve is located in Northwest Yunnan and is the highest elevation and the highest latitude wetland nature reserve in Yunnan Province. Bitahai Nature Reserve is a typical wetland nature reserve in very low latitude and high elevation with large areas of coniferous forest around the alpine till lakes, wetland and water area ecosystem while compared with natural reserves distributed same latitude in the world. The area of the reserve distribution is the key area of Transverse Mountain Region. It was a refuge for plant and wildlife because Transverse Mountains were not covered by ice in the Tertiary. And the area is now regarded as a center of forming new species and preserving ancient species. Species biodiversity is high and the distribution of some endemic animals and plants are limited in Transverse Mountains area. In the nature reserve, there are many first and second grade protected plants and animals listed in Lists of China National Priority Protection Fauna and Flora. All of these are precious materials of genetic diversity. The diversities of the plant community and vegetation contribute to ecosystem diversity. Thus, Bitahai Nature Reserve holds with high conservation value. However, its biodiversity is threatened by different factors and its conservation should be paid great attention.     

Diversity and abundance of the arsenite oxidase gene aioA in geothermal areas of Tengchong, Yunnan, China

A total of 12 samples were collected from the Tengchong geothermal areas of Yunnan, China, with the goal to assess the arsenite (AsIII) oxidation potential of the extant microbial communities as inferred by the abundance and diversity of the AsIII oxidase large subunit gene aioA relative to geochemical context. Arsenic concentrations were higher (on average 251.68 μg/L) in neutral or alkaline springs than in acidic springs (on average 30.88 μg/L). aioA abundance ranged from 1.63 × 10¹ to 7.08 × 10³ per ng of DNA and positively correlated with sulfide and the ratios of arsenate (AsV):total dissolved arsenic (As_Tot). Based on qPCR estimates of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene abundance, aioA-harboring organisms comprised as much as ~15 % of the total community. Phylogenetically, the major aioA sequences (270 total) in the acidic hot springs (pH 3.3–4.4) were affiliated with Aquificales and Rhizobiales, while those in neutral or alkaline springs (pH 6.6–9.1) were inferred to be primarily bacteria related to Thermales and Burkholderiales. Interestingly, aioA abundance at one site greatly exceeded bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundance, suggesting these aioA genes were archaeal even though phylogenetically these aioA sequences were most similar to the Aquificales. In summary, this study described novel aioA sequences in geothermal features geographically far removed from those in the heavily studied Yellowstone geothermal complex.     

Metagenomic Profiling of Viruses Associated with Rhipicephalus microplus Ticks in Yunnan Province,China

Ticks are well known as vectors of many viruses which usually do great harm to human and animal health. Yunnan Province, widely covered by flourishing vegetation and mainly relying on farming husbandry, is abundant with Rhipicephalus microplus ticks. Therefore, it is of great significance to characterize the viral profile present in R. microplus parasitizing on cattle in Yunnan Province. In this study, a total of 7387 R. microplus ticks were collected from cattle and buffalo in the northwest and southeast areas of Yunnan Province from 2015 to 2017. We investigated the virome of R.microplus using next-generation sequencing(NGS) and the prevalence of important identified viruses among tick groups by RT-PCR. It revealed the presence of diverse virus concerning chu-, rhabdo-, phlebo-, flavi-and parvo-viruses in Yunnan. These viruses consist of single-stranded, circular and segmented sense RNAs, showing a greatly diversity in genomic organization. Furthermore, continuous epidemiological survey among ticks reveals broad prevalence of three viruses(Yunnan mivirus 1, Wuhan tick vrius 1 and YN tick-associated phlebovirus 1) and two possible prevalent viruses including a flavivirus-like segmented virus(Jingmen tick virus) and a bovine hokovirus 2 in Yunnan. Serological investigation among cattle indicates that these identified viruses may be infectious to cattle and can elicit corresponding antibody. Our findings on R. microplus-associated viral community will contribute to the prevention of viral disease and tracking the viral evolution. Further analysis is needed to better elucidate the pathogenicity and natural circulation of these viruses.     

云南哀牢山两种常见半寄生植物的生态化学计量特征及其与寄主的关系

为深入探究半寄生植物与其寄主间的养分关系, 在云南哀牢山徐家坝地区选取两种常见半寄生植物椆树桑寄生(Loranthus delavayi)和柳叶钝果寄生(Taxillus delavayi), 研究其寄主枝条-吸器-寄生枝条-寄生叶片间的碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)生态化学计量特征关系。结果表明: 1)两种半寄生植物的寄主枝条-吸器-寄生枝条-寄生叶片这一连续体的C、N、P生态化学计量特征变化趋势并不完全相同, 具有物种自身的特性。2)同一半寄生植物的寄主枝条具有相似的C、N、P生态化学计量特征, 寄主物种对半寄生植物的生态化学计量特征没有显著影响。3)寄主枝条的C、N、P生态化学计量特征间具有紧密的相关关系, 吸器弱于寄主枝条, 寄生枝条弱于吸器, 寄生叶片的N、P含量相关关系不显著。4)寄主枝条与寄生叶片间的C含量存在极显著负相关关系。5)吸器与寄主枝条间的C、N、P生态化学计量特征存在紧密的相关关系, 但在生态化学计量特征的数值上吸器与寄生枝条更为接近。吸器作为连接寄主与寄生植物的关键部位, 其与寄主枝条极为显著的相关关系体现了寄主枝条养分对寄生植物的重要性, 而吸器在元素含量、计量比的数值以及相互关系上与寄生枝条更为相似, 则体现了吸器作为寄生植物器官具有与寄生枝条相似的生理功能。通过对寄主枝条-吸器-寄生枝条-寄生叶片C、N、P生态化学计量特征的分析, 为深入研究半寄生植物的养分利用策略与生态适应性提供了重要的基础资料。