Study on Ectoparasites of Rhombomys opimus, the Main Reservoir of Zoonotic Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Endemic Foci in Iran

Ectoparasites of mammalian hosts play an important role for transmission of diseases from the host res­ervoirs to human. The aim of this study was to determine the species composition and infestation parameters for para­sitic arthropods associated with Rhombomys opimus. Ectoparasites of R. opimus were collected from seven endemic district of ZCL in Iran including Shirvan and Sfaraysen in North Khorasan Province, Kalaleh in Golestan Province, Damghan and Shahrood in Semnan Prov­ince, and Badrood and Habibabad in Isfahan Province. The areas of study were mainly desert and plain. Rodents were captured using Sherman life traps during active seasons from May to November 2008. Captured rodents were trans­ported to laboratory and their ectoparasites were picked up using brushing against the fur of the rodents. Ecto­parasites were stored in 70% ethanol for their preservation and then identified based on morphological characters. Ectoparasites belonged to one flea species of Xenopsylla nuttalli and one mite species of Ornithonussus ba­coti. The flea species with 75.3% was more common than the mite. O. bacoti might play an important role in trans­mission of rat mite dermatitis among R. opimus colony. Results will provide an essential clue for combating zoonotic diseases in the region.