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%, respectively. 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

Anthropophily of malaria vectors in kahnouj district, Southof Kerman, Iran

This study was conducted to investigate hematophagic tendencies of the malaria vector based on a seasonal basis as well as by geographical region in a malaria endemic area in Kahnouj, southern Iran. This study was carried out for 14 months from Apr/ 2002 up to the end of May 2003. Female anophelines were collected from different shelters in hilly and plain regions of Kahnouj district and their blood meal was tested using ELISA test methods. The five vectors that were active in the study area consisted of An. fluviatilis, An. stephensi, An. dthali, An. culicifacies, and An. superpictm. The dominant Anopheline in hilly areas was An. fluviatilis sibling species T. This species was active during whole year and reached a peak in December. In contrast the dominant species in flat regions was An. stephensi which showed strongly endophilic behavior with two seasonal activity peaks. The anthropophilic index for An. fluviatilis and An. stephensi was estimated at 2.68% and 0.5%, respectively. The population of other species was too low and they did not show a propensity for human blood. The most malaria cases occurred in the hilly area where An. fluviatilis is the active dominant species. It seems that An. fluviatilis is responsible for transmission of malaria in hilly districts of Kahnouj. Thus malaria transmission in this study area is much influenced by resident's rest habits while a wild vector, An. fluviatilis shows exophilic behavior and uses microclimate shelters with high incidence of human blood feeding. Thus, adapting people to use personal protection such as a bed net instead of residual spraying may be considered as an effective measure in malaria control in hilly regions

subfamily Culicinae [Diptera:culicidae] in kerman province southern Iran

There are some arboviral and parasitic diseases which are transmitted by culicine mosquitoes in Iran. Three genera and eleven species of the subfamily Culicinae [Diptera: Culicidae] were collected by dipping method and identified in Kahnooj district, Kerman province, south-eastern Iran, during October and November, 2003 including; Culex [Culex] bitaeniorhynchus, Cx. [Maillotia] deserticola, Cx. [Cux.] laticinctus, Cx. [Cux.] perexiguus, Cx. [Cux.] pipiens, Cx.[Cux.] quin- quefasciatus, Cx.[Cux.] sinaiticus, Cx.[Cux.] theileri, Cx.[Cux.] tritaeniorhynchus, Culiseta [Allotheobaldia] longiareolata, and Uranotaenia [Pseudoficalbia] unguiculata. In this study, Ur.unguiculata was identified in Kerman province for the first time. Fauna and ecology of Culicinae need more investigations in this province