Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting some small mammals from Northern Turkey with new tick-host associations and locality records

KESKİN A., Selcuk A. Y., KEFELİOĞLU H.

EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY, vol.73, no.3-4, pp.521-526, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 73 Issue: 3-4
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10493-017-0182-2
  • Journal Name: EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.521-526
  • Keywords: Ticks, New tick-host associations, Northern Turkey, Small mammals, BLACK-SEA REGION, SPECIES-DIVERSITY, HUMANS, IXODOIDEA, VIRUS
  • Ondokuz Mayıs University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Ticks are obligate ectoparasites of a vast range of terrestrial vertebrates which may play an important role in the transmission of many zoonotic pathogens to humans and animals. In the current study, we performed an investigation on ticks infesting some small mammals captured from Samsun and Tokat provinces, Northern Turkey. One hundred forty-five mammalian samples belonging to four species, namely Cricetulus migratorius (n = 1), Apodemus flavicollis (n = 17), Crocidura suaveolens (n = 102) and Sorex volnuchini (n = 25), were examined for the presence of tick infestations. A total of 273 (74 larvae, 194 nymphs, 5 females) hard ticks were collected from 88 mammalian samples. Ticks were identified as Ixodes laguri (1 nymph), I. redikorzevi (22 larvae, 186 nymphs, 5 females), I. ricinus (52 larvae, 4 nymphs) and Rhipicephalus turanicus (3 nymphs). Here, we also provided new tick mammalian host associations for Turkey. In addition, I. laguri and I. redikorzevi ticks were recorded for the first time in Samsun province of Turkey.