Small mammals are the main reserves of many pathogens dangerous for human. Ectoparasites of those mammals play the principal role as vectors of these diseases. During 2013-2018 the members of 22 Rodents and Insectivores species have been trapped in Irkutsk region and examined for infestation with ticks, mites, fleas and lice. Totally 2093 parasites had been collected from 485 small mammals. The systematic of 16 fleas, tree lice and one tick species have been determined; the species of Gamasid mites was not defined. The frequency and abundance index have been used for quantity characterization. The ectoparasites’ infestation varied for all factors studied: the species and systematic group of the mammals and ectoparasites, the season and place of trapping. The average number of parasites for one animal varied more among the groups of mammals, than between seasons. On average, 4.3 parasites have been taken off one small mammal, and the ratio of ectoparasites’ groups differed in winter and summer collections. The most diversity of the ectoparasites species during cold period have been noticed in the communities of Sorex araneus, Microtus oeconomus and Clethrionomys (Myodes) rutilus, and in the communities of red-backed voles in summer. Gamasid mites more often parasitized the mammals in winter time, Ixodid ticks – in summer. The abundance of lice almost did not differ seasonally; the fleas were more frequent and abundant on the “summer” animals. The parasites have been found on the Rodents more often than on shrews in winter as well as in summer. The differences in fleas communities have been registered in the groups of small mammals: two thirds of 16 detected flea species are group specific. The lice in the studied sample of small mammals were found only on Rodents with one exception. Variations in small mammals ectoparasites invasion may be the reason of different epizootologic and epidemiologic significance of both communities, thus determining the necessity of further investigations in this field.

Vershinin Evgeniy Aleksandrovich, Candidate of Sciences (Biology), Research Scientist, Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East of Rospotrebnadzor, 78, Trilisser st., Irkutsk, 664047, Russian Federation, e-mail: eaverschinin@mail.ru 

Borisov Sergey Anatolyevich, Laboratory Assistant, Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East of Rospotrebnadzor, 78, Trilisser st., Irkutsk, 664047, Russian Federation, e-mail: borisov.irk@mail.ru 

Меl’nikova Ol’ga Vitalyevna, Doctor of Sciences (Biology), Senior Research, Scientist Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East of Rospotrebnadzor, 78, Trilisser st., Irkutsk, 664047, Russian Federation, e-mail: melnikovaovit@gmail.com

Vershinin E.A., Borisov S.A., Melnikova O.V. Small Mammals Infestation with Ectoparasites during Warm and Cold Periods in Baikal Region. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Biology. Ecology, 2019, vol. 29, pp. 60-72. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3372.2019.29.60 (in Russian)

Beklemishev V.N. Biotsenologicheskie osnovy sravnitel'noi parazitologii [Biocenotic basics of comparative parasitology]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1970, 502 p. (in Russian)

Ioff I.G., Scalon O.I. Opredelitel bloh Vostochnoj Sibiri, Dalnego Vostoka i prilegayushchih rajonov [Key to the fauna of fleas of East Siberia, Far East and adjacent areas]. Moscow, Medgiz Publ., 1954, 275 p. (in Russian)

Kraminskaya V.A., Zhivolyapina R.R., Perevoznikov V.A. K virusologicheskoj i immunologicheskoj harakteristike nekotoryh ochagov KE v Vostochnoj Sibiri [Virological and immunological characteristics of some TBE natural foci n Eastern Siberia]. Kleshchevoj ehncefalit [Tick-borne encephalitis]. Minsk, 1965, pp. 211-212. (in Russian)

Nasekomye i kleshchi Dalnego Vostoka, imeyushchie mediko-veterinarnoe znachenie [Far-Eastern insects and ticks which have medical and veterinary concern]. St.-Petersb., Nauka Publ., 1978, 309 p. (in Russian)

Rekreacionnaya, landshaftno-ehpidemiologicheskaya harakteristika prigorodnoj zony g. Irkutska [Recreational, landscape and epidemiological characteristics of the Irkutsk Sity suburbs]. Irkutsk Inst. Geogr. AS USSR. Irkutsk, 1991, 121 p. Dep. man. VINITI, № 4442-В91 (in Russian)

Mel'nikova O.V., Vershinin E.A., Korzun V.M., Nikitin A.Ya., Verzhutskaya Yu.A. Rol melkih mlekopitayushchih raznyh vidov v prokormlenii preimaginal'nyh stadij tayozhnogo kleshcha v Pribajkal'e [The role of different species of small mammals in feeding of immature stages of the taiga tick – the main vector of tick-borne encephalitis in Pribaikalie]. The Bull. Irkutsk St. Univ. Ser. Biol. Ekol., 2015, vol. 11, pp. 93-104. (in Russian)

Sergienko G.D. Fauna Ukrainy. Vshi [Fauna of Ukraine. Lice]. Kiev, Naukova Dumka Publ., 1974, vol. 22, is. 3, 110 p. (in Russian)

Sokolov V.E. Sistematika mlekopitayushchikh [Systematics of Mammals. Vol. 1]. Moscow, Vysshaya Shkola Publ. 1973, 432 p. (in Russian)

Sokolov V.E. Sistematika mlekopitayushchikh [Systematics of Mammals. Vol. 2]. Moscow, Vysshaya Shkola Publ., 1977, 494 p. (in Russian)

Sokolov V.E. Dictionary of animal names in five languages. Mammals. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. Moscow, Russky Yazyk Publ., 1988, 352 p.

Tagil'tsev A.A., Tarasevich L.N. Chlenistonogie ubezhishchnogo kompleksa v prirodnyh ochagah arbo-virusnyh infekcij [Arthropods of the den complex in the arboviral infections’ natural foci]. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 1982, 228 p. (in Russian)

Feoktistov A.Z. Virusologicheskoe izuchenie ochagov kleshchevogo ehncefalita v yugo-zapadnoj chasti Nizhnego Priamur'ya [Virological study of the tick-borne encephalitis natural foci in the southern part of Lower Amur Region: Candidate in Biology Dissertation Abstract]. Habarovsk, 1965, 19 p. (in Russian)

Chipanina V.M. Izuchenie roli bloh i gamazovyh kleshchej v cirkulyacii virusa kleshchevogo ehncefalita v prirodnyh ochagah yugo-zapadnoj chasti Nizhnego Priamu-r'ya [Study of fleas and gamasid mites role in the tick-borne encephalitis virus circulation in its natural foci in the southern part of Lower Amur Region: Candidate in Biology Dissertation Abstract]. Irkutsk, 1973, 24 p. (in Russian)

Kiefer D., Pfister K., Tserennorov D., Otgonbaatar D., Samjaa R., Sumjaa D., Burmeister E.G., Kiefer M.S. Distribution of Fleas (Siphonaptera) in bird-nests, bird Siphonaptera on mammalia and the medical importance of interspecific flea transmission in Mongolia. Erforsch. biol. Ress. Mongolei, 2010, no. 11, pp. 395-404.

Mihalca A.D., Sándor A.D. The role of rodents in the ecology of Ixodes ricinus and associated pathogens in Central and Eastern Europe. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., 2013, no. 3, P. 56. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2013.00056

Tadin A., Tokarz R., Markotić A., Margaletić J., Turk N., Habuš J., Svoboda P., Vucelja M., Desai A., Jain K., Lipkin W. Molecular Survey of Zoonotic Agents in Rodents and Other Small Mammals in Croatia. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 2016, Vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 466-473. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0517

Schmidt S., Essbauer S.S., Mayer-Scholl A., Poppert S., Schmidt-Chanasit J., Klempa B., Henning K., Schares G., Groschup M.H., Spitzenberger F., Richter D., Heckel G., Ulrich R.G. Multiple Infections of Rodents with Zoonotic Pathogens in Austria. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis., 2014, vol. 14, no. 7, pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2013.1504

Ostfeld R.S., Mills J.N. Social Behavior, Demography, and Rodent-Borne Pathogens // Rodent Societies. I.O. Wolff, P.W. Sherman (eds.). Univ. Chicago Press, 2007, Ch. 41, pp. 478-486.

Hornok S., Földvári G., Rigó K., Meli M., Gönczi E., Répási A., Farkas R., Papp I., Kontschán J., Hofmann-Lehmann R. Synanthropic rodents and their ectoparasites as carriers of a novel haemoplasma and vector-borne, zoonotic pathogens indoors. Parasites & Vectors, 2015, no. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-014-0630-3