Abundance and distribution of Xenopsylla cheopis on small mammals collected in West Java, Indonesia during rodent-borne disease surveys.

ABSTRACT

During February 2004 and September 2005, Xenopsylla cheopis were collected from small mammal hosts during rodent-bone disease surveys in Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. During 4 trap nights in Jakarta, 4 rodent species (Rattus exulans, Rattus norvegicus, Rattus tanezumi and Mus musculus) and one shrew species (Suncus murinus) were collected. Rattus tanezumi had the highest X. cheopis load (128 X. cheopis from 84 R. tanezumi) but R. norvegicus had the highest flea index, 1.8. In Bandung, over 6 trap nights 3 rodent species were collected (R. norvegicus, R. tanezumi and M. musculus) and the shrew, S. murinus, were collected. Rattus norvegicus had the highest number of X. cheopis collected (407 X. cheopis from 181 R. norvegicus) but R. tanezumi had the highest flea index, 3.5. During both surveys, X. cheopis was the species of flea collected.