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Positive co-occurrence of flea infestation at a low biological cost in two rodent hosts in the Canary archipelago

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2013

S. SÁNCHEZ ,
E. SERRANO ,
M. S. GÓMEZ ,
C. FELIU  and
S. MORAND
S. SÁNCHEZ*
Affiliation:
Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Joan XXIII, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
E. SERRANO
Affiliation:
Servei d´Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Estadística i Investigació Operativa, Departament de Matemàtica, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
M. S. GÓMEZ
Affiliation:
Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Joan XXIII, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
C. FELIU
Affiliation:
Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Joan XXIII, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
S. MORAND
Affiliation:
Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, CNRS-IRD-UM2, Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France
*
* Corresponding author: Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Joan XXIII, 08028, Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: sanchez.v.santi@gmail.com
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Summary

Non-random assemblages have been described as a common pattern of flea co-occurrence across mainland host species. However, to date, patterns of flea co-occurrence on islands are unknown. The present work investigates, on one hand, whether the decrease in the number of species on islands affects the pattern of flea co-occurrence, and on the other hand, how the cost of higher flea burdens affects host body mass. The study was carried out in the Canary Islands (Spain) using null models to analyse flea co-occurrence on Rattus rattus and Mus musculus. Results supported aggregation of flea species in Mus but not in Rattus, probably due to the relationship between abundance and both prevalence and intensity of infection of the main flea species parasitizing Mus. In addition, heavy individuals of both rodent species showed the highest flea burdens as well as higher species richness, probably due to the continued accumulation of fleas throughout life and/or immunological resistance mechanisms. Whatever the mechanisms involved, it is clear that co-occurrence and high parasite intensities do not imply a detrimental biological cost for the rodents of the Canary Islands.

Keywords

Canary Islandsco-occurrencefleashost-densityMus musculusnull modelsRattus rattus
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 141 , Issue 4 , April 2014 , pp. 511 - 521
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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