Distibution of mammal's flea species in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

A study of mammal's flea distribution was conducted during the period 1962 - 2000. About 10,000 fleas were collected from 5,000 host animals of which 43 mammalian species belonging 7 orders distributed in 368 places in 50 provinces and cities over the country. Forty four from 83 or 51.8% (out of total 240 mammalian species found in Vietnam - 34.5%) collected mammals were found infected with flea. These mammals belong 7 orders of Insectivora, Scadenta, Chiroptera, Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Rodentia and Lagomorpha. The flea infection rate of Rodentia and Artiodactyla was 17.9% (27/34) and 31.3% (7/22), respectively. Only two of 79 species of Chiroptera found in Viet Nam were examined and both were found flea infected. However, flea was not found in the four mammalian species of Dermoptera, Primates, Perissodactyla and Pholidota