Ectoparasite Fauna of Commensal Rodents Collected from the North Sinai Governorate - Egypt and its Public Health Significance

Rodents have a huge impact on the natural environment. Rat and mice are considered a natural host for a large number of ectoparasites. The present study aimed to determine the geographical distribution and ectoparasites infestation rates of commensal rats and mice collected from the North Sinai governorate - Egypt. The survey was conducted during the period from December 2016 to November 2017 in three different locations namely Bir el-`Abd city, Rabaa, and Qatia villages located in the North Sinai governorate. The ectoparasites were isolated from four species of rodents including Rattus norvegicus (Brown rats), Rattus rattus frugivorus (Black rats), Rattus rattus alexandrinus, and Mus musculus (House mouse). The survey recovered and identified three species of fleas including Echidnophaga gallinacea, Xenopsylla cheopis, and Leptopsylla segnis, four species of lice including Hoplopleura hirsute, Hoplopleura ocanthopus, Hoplopleura oenomydis, Polyplax spinulosai, and five species of mites including Laelaps nuttalli, Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus bacoti, Myobia musculi, Allodermanyssus sanguine. The distribution of the ectoparasites was identified according to several factors including rodent species, sex, location, and seasonal effects and the zoonotic role of some of the identified rodent ectoparasites was discussed.