PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF Lipoptena mazamae RONDANI (DIPTERA: HIPPOBOSCIDAE) AND TICKS (ACARI: IXODIDAE) IN WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus yucatanensis) IN SOUTHEAST OF MEXICO

Abstract

Background: Louse-fly (Lipoptena spp.) and ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites of domestic and wild animals and accidentally of humans. Globally, there is little information on the medical importance of these ectoparasites, but there are studies that suggest that these ectoparasites might be involved in the transmission of pathogens. In Mexico, both ectoparasites have been reported parasitizing white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus). Objective: To estimate the prevalence and intensity of Lipoptena spp. and ticks in WTD and its possible implication of louse-flies as a vector of Anaplasma spp. in Southeastern Mexico. Methodology: 25 WTD were inspected for their louse-flies and ticks. Pools of louse-flies were tested by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify the presence of a fragment of the 16S-rDNA gene of Anaplasma spp. Results: All louse-fly (96 specimens) were identified as Lipoptena mazamae and 348 ticks of the genera Amblyomma, Ixodes, Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis were also identified. The prevalence of WTD with L. mazamae was 56% with an intensity of 6.9 flies/WTD, meanwhile the prevalence of ticks was 92% with an intensity of 15.5 ticks/WTD. Anaplasma spp. was not detected in any of the pools of flies evaluated. Implications: WTD are parasitized by ectoparasites that affect their health and can be transmitters of pathogens to wild animals, domestic animals, and humans, therefore their identification is important for the design of prevention programs. Conclusion: WTD showed high prevelances of L. mazamae and different species of ticks, being the latter with high prevalence and intensity. Molecular tests showed that louse-flies evaluated in this study were not found to be infected with Anaplasma spp.