[Infestation by Pediculus humanus (Anoplura: Pediculidae) in a metropolitan area of southeast Brazil]. / Infestação por Pediculus humanus (Anoplura: Pediculidae) no Município de São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Adults, nymphs and nits of the Pediculus humanus were found in a frame-house infesting the clothes and bedding of three inhabitants in a shanty town in S. Paulo county, S. Paulo State. A total of 198 nits were found glued in 15.0 cm2 of fibres of the infested clothing, giving a ratio of 13.2 nits/cm2. Having in view that the precarious living conditions, promiscuity, absence of basic sanitation and negligence of the sanitary authorities in various Brazilian cities, this situation should not be underestimated. This find should be more frequent than an isolated observation.

Interrelationship between ectoparasites and wild rodents from Tijucas do Sul, state of Paraná, Brazil.

Sixteen species of ectoparasites were collected from 50 wild rodents, from August 1990 to August 1991, in an area of Araucaria augustifolia forest, in the municipality of Tijucas do Sul, State of Paraná, Brazil. Ectoparasites infested 98% of the rodents, with the highest indices of infestation found in the drycool season. Species that occurred in single or multiple infestations were recorded. Ectoparasite/host associations were significant (p < 0.01) for Gigantolaelaps wolffsohni/Oryzomys nigripes, Polygenis pradoi/Oxymycterus sp. and Amblyopinus sp./Oxymycterus sp. The following represent new host records: Polygenis (Polygenis) tripus from Akodon serrensis and Hoplopleura sciuricola from Sciurus aestuans. New geographic records are given for two species of flea and one sucking lice.

Effects of larval nutrition on the postembryonic development of Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera:Pulicidae).

Dry blood from mammals and birds was used as larval diet for the development of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché), in the laboratory. Diets that contained host blood and cornmeal heated at 40 degrees C for 30 min were inadequate for most larvae to form pupae. Development time from 1st instar to adult ranged from 30 to 33 d. Except for the diet containing Mastomys blood, the diets that consisted of blood alone from other hosts air dried at room temperature contained sufficient nutritional value to allow adults to be obtained from > 51.7% of larvae fed these diets. Adults were obtained from > 81% of pupae. Although the Mastomys or mouse blood contributed to better diets than the dog or pigeon blood through shorter developmental time from 1st instar to adults, greater numbers of pupae and adults were obtained from diets that contained dog and mouse blood. Highly significant differences existed between pigeon and Mastomys blood in relation to the number of cocoons formed and between pigeon and dog blood or pigeon and mouse blood in relation to adult emergence. Differences between dog and mouse blood in the larval diet were significant only in relation to mortality that occurred to the pupae.

Some ectoparasites of commensal rodents from Huambo, Angola.

Eight species of ectoparasites were collected from 166 commensal rodents, including Rattus rattus (L.), Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout), and Mus musculus (L.), from January to December 1986, in Huambo, Angola. The oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild), was the predominant species with respect to mean intensity and prevalence. Other fleas collected were Ctenophthalmus (Ethioctenophthalmus) machadoi Ribeiro, Dinopsyllus (Dinopsyllus) smiti Ribeiro, and Echidnophaga gallinacea (Westwood). The mite Laelaps (Echinolaelaps) muricola Trägärdh, the louse Polyplax spinulosa (Burmeister), one species of Ixodes Latreille, and one species of Ornithonyssus Sambon were also recorded. The following represent new host records: C. machadoi from R. rattus and R. norvegicus, D. smiti from M. musculus, and L. muricola from R. rattus and M. musculus. For the first time, the monthly flea indices throughout the year are presented for Angola.

Ectoparasites of some wild rodents from Paraná State, Brazil.

Forty-four cricetid rodents belonging to four species from Paraná State, Brazil, were karyotyped and examined for ectoparasites. Thirteen species of ectoparasites, including five mites, one louse, and seven fleas, are recorded for the first time from Paraná. New host records are described for four species of mites, one sucking louse, and seven fleas.

Notes on ectoparasites of some small mammals from Santa Catarina State, Brazil.

A small collection of mammals, including 34 individuals from Santa Catarina State, was examined for ectoparasites. One species of tick, eight species of mites, one species of sucking louse, one species of biting louse, and one species of flea are recorded for the first time from Santa Catarina. New host records are given for two species of Acari, one of louse, and one of flea. Species that occurred in single or multiple infestations are recorded.

[Interrelatio of acari Ixodidae and hosts of Edentata of the Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, Brazil]. / Interrelações entre acari ixodidae e hospedeiros Edentata da serra da canastra, minas gerais, brasil.

We received for examination a small colection of ticks captured in the National Park of the Serra da Canastra (MG), between 1979 and 1980. The authors demonstrated the existence of a broad co-accomodation of Amblyomma pseudoconcolor on Edentata of the family Dasypodidae, being Dasypodini the tribe more adjusted to this infestation. In conformity to the Figs 1 and 2, Dasypodini are probably the real hosts of A. pseudoconcolor and also the oldest hosts. For the first time, A. pseudoconcolor is also recorded on Cabassous tatouay, C. unicinctus, Priodontes maximus and Euphractus sexcincuts. Also for the first time A. pseudoconcolor and Amblyomma calcaratum were recorded in the State of Minas Gerais. The ectoparasites are deposited in the "Departamento de Parasitologia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil".

Prevalence of nits and lice in samples of cut hair from floors of barbershops and beauty parlors in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

A louse survey based on samples of cut hair collected from floors of barbershops and beauty parlors was conducted in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from October 1984 to April 1985, as an alternative way to determine the prevalence of pediculosis capitis in the population. Of 475 samples examined for nits, nymphs, or adults of Pediculus capitis, 140 were infested (29.5%). A total of 58 lice and 3,553 nits were found in 33,632.9 g of hair collected, giving a ratio of 0.10 nit/g. Almost 29% of the nits were viable and capable of being transmitted after hatching. There was significant difference among the infestation rates by socioeconomic levels, and samples from barbershops with male customers were the most infested. Based upon the number of haircuts in each sample, we estimated that 5 or 6% of the population might be infested by this species.

[Ectoparasites in rodents of the urban region of Belo Horizonte, MG. III. Fleas, Anoplura and Acari indices in Rattus norvegicus norvegicus]. / Ectoparasitos de roedores da região urbana de Belo Horizonte, MG. III. Indices pulicidianos, anoplurianos e acarianos em Rattus norvegicus norvegicus.

The total and specific indices of fleas, lice and mites were determined for ectoparasites on Rattus norvegicus norvegicus capture in urban areas of Belo Horizonte, Minas state, Brazil, from June 1980 to September 1982. In view of the limiting or critical values attributed to flea indices above all the "cheopis" index, proposed by several authors as a complementary measure for bubonic plague surveillance, the community of Belo Horizonte would have been exposed to this infection. The annual total indices ranged from 0.3 to 2.4 and the prevalent flea was Xenopsylla cheopis (99.2%), with the highest indices coinciding with the late dry-cool season. On two occasions, in this period, the community would have remained highly exposed to infection, since the index-limits were superseded: 8.8 (October 1980) and 6.2 (September 1982). It is suggested that preventive measures, such as protection against rat insecticide treatment may be efficiently applied in the late dry-cool season, or previous to the rainy season, before the elimination of rats. Reports on indices of lice and mites are important as they may establish index-limits for certain infections exclusive to rodents.

[Ectoparasites of rodents of the urban region of Belo Horizonte, MG. II. Variations of the infestation indices in Rattus norvegicus norvegicus]. / Ectoparasitos de roedores da região urbana de Belo Horizonte, MG. II. Oscilações dos indices de infestação em Rattus norvegicus norvegicus.

The indices of infestation by the mites Echinolaelaps echidninus and Laelaps nuttalli, the louse Popyplax spinulosa and the flea Xenopsylla cheopis, obtained monthly, from June 1980 to September 1982, on Rattus norvegicus norvegicus in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil were related to seasonal period, sex of the host and area of capture. Mites and insects showed different behaviour in relation to these factors. Only the fleas and lice exhibit significant association between the rodents' infestation and the seasonal period, or between the infestation and the rodents' sex or else a variation of the distribution by the three main areas of capture. The fleas showed the highest indices of infestation in the warm-rainy season (October to March) while the infestation by the lice was more prevalent in the dry-cool season. The climatic factors most related with the hosts' infestation were, in decreasing order, rainfall, temperature and relative humidity. Fleas and lice preferentially infested male rodents, being infestation by X. cheopis highly significant.

[Ectoparasites of rodents of the urban region of Belo Horizonte, MG. I. Interaction between ectoparasites and hosts]. / Ectoparasitos de roedores da região urbana de Belo Horizonte, MG. I. Interacão entre ectoparasitos e hospedeiros.

A rodent ectoparasite survey was made in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from June 1980 to September 1982. The species of ectoparasites captured from 950 Rattus norvegicus norvegicus were: Xenopsylla cheopis, Ctenocephalides felis felis, Polyplax spinulosa, Laelaps nuttalli, Echinolaelaps echidninus and Atricholaelaps glasgowi, the last species only represented by three specimens interchanged with wild rodent. P. spinulosa and L. nuttalli, although cosmopolitan, are recorded for the first time in State of Minas Gerais. The sex ratio of the ectoparasites, as well as the prevalence of fleas, mites and lice on the separate sexes of rodents are presented. 66.9% of the rats were infested by mites, almost twice more than infestations by fleas and louse jointly (39%). L. nuttalli was found in great numbers and presented the highest index of infestation: 55.1%. Single infestations are as common as associated ones. P. spinulosa, contrary to L. nuttalli, rarely occurs in single infestation. Data on the distribution of the ectoparasites on the rodents are also reported. The infestation observed in Belo Horizonte is confronted with those obtained by other authors in different places.