Arthropod and filarioid parasites associated with wild rodents in the northeast marshes of Buenos Aires, Argentina

• Main Authors: Marcela Lareschi, Juliana Notarnicola, Graciela Navone, Pedro Marcos Linardi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2003-07-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: ectoparasitic arthropods; filarioid nematodes; diversity; rodents; Argentina
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762003000500015

During 1995, 16 species of arthropods and 2 species of filarioids, totaling 1 287 specimens were collected from 64 wild rodents captured in the Hudson Natural Reserve, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Infestation parameters and indexes were analyzed. Host specific richness was S = 6, diversity H = 1.48, and relative density RDI = 40%. High values of parasite species richness and diversity were found on Oligoryzomys delticola (S = 9; H = 1.40), Oxymycterus rufus (S = 9; H = 1.37), and Oligoryzomys flavescens (S = 9; H = 1.28), followed by Scapteromys aquaticus (S = 6; H = 0.17), and Akodon azarae (S = 4; H = 1.20). Deltamys kempi was infested only by Androlaelaps rotundus. O. delticola and O. flavescens showed the highest similarity index (O = 74.19%), followed by O. flavescens with S. aquaticus, as a result of historical processes and shared microhabitats. Considering arthropods-filarioids associations, significant affinity was observed in Litomosoides bonaerensis with Hoplopleura travassosi, Laelaps paulistanensis, and Gigantolaelaps wolffsohni.