Fauna and Biodiversity Study of Fleas in Bojnourd, North Khorasan, in 2019

Introduction: Fleas are the external parasites of birds and mammals which in addition to causing harassment and skin sensitivities in the host, are also vectors of important diseases such as plague. This study was aimed to study and identify medically important species of fleas in Bojnourd city of North Khorasan province. Methods: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Sampling was carried out for 7 months from April to October 2018 in rural areas of Bojnourd city of North Khorasan province. Using the cluster sampling method, eleven villages were randomly selected according to geographical location (north, south, east, west and center). Samples were captured using different sampling methods from animal and human sites, and after preparation and mounting, were identified using a valid identification key. Results: In the present study, a total of 1540 flea were collected using different sampling methods. Captured fleas were from the Placida family included four species of Pulex irritans (94.2%), Ct. felis. felis, (2.1%), Ct. canis (1.2%) and Xenopsylla cheopis (2.5%). 41 % (631) of the samples were male and 59% (909) were female. The dominant species was Pulex irritans and the highest abundance of fleas was observed in Timurtash village (77.7%). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that Pulex irritans is the dominant species and has the highest abundance in Bojnourd city which can be considered as a health problem. Therefore, planning to control it is very important.