Determination of Rodent Ectoparasite Fauna in Sarpole-Zahab District, Kermanshah Province, Iran, 2004-2005

Ectoparasites of various species of rodents were examined from Sarepole Zehab, Kermanshah Province Iran during 2005. This city is bordered with Iraq. A total of 139 rodents included 6 species of hosts were captured during all different seasons and examined for ectoparasites using live trap. The area of study was mainly plateu (70%) and mountanous. The hosts including: Microtus socialis, Mus musculus, Rattus rattus, Nesokia indica, Meriones persicus and Tatera indica. The 9 species of ectoparasites recovered included 3 fleas (Pulex irritans, Xenopsylla buxtoni, Nosopsyllus medus), one sucking lice (Polyplax spinolosa), two ticks (Rhipicephalus sp., Hyalomma sp.), and 3 mites (Lealaps nuttalli, Dermanysus sanguineus, Ornithonussus bacoti). Among all arthropod collected, the lice and flea had the most and least frequency, i.e. 77.7% and 4.4%, respectivelly. The data showed that the ectoparasites on some rodent hosts tend to prefer particular host body sites, and that some ectoparasite species sites may overlap owing to their inaccessibility to the host