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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 76(4), 2007, pp. 666-668
Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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SHORT REPORT


INFESTATION OF WISTAR RATS WITH TUNGA PENETRANS IN DIFFERENT MICROENVIRONMENTS

LARS WITT, JÖRG HEUKELBACH, STEFAN SCHWALFENBERG, RONALDO A. RIBEIRO, GUNDEL HARMS, AND HERMANN FELDMEIER*
Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, and Institute of Tropical Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Department of Community Health and Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil

 

ABSTRACT

Tungiasis is a zoonotic ectoparasitosis that causes considerable morbidity in affected populations. The type of microenvironment that facilitates infestation of hosts by Tunga penetrans has not been investigated. In this study, we exposed 30 laboratory-raised Wistar rats, a suitable model for the infestation, at six different places characterized by different microenvironments in a hyperendemic fishing village in northeastern Brazil. During a period of two weeks, the animals were monitored and the number of embedded fleas was documented. The number of lesions varied considerably according to the microenvironment and was highest in a cage placed at the far end of a compound of a household affected by tungiasis. No penetration was observed inside houses. Results indicate that in this endemic area transmission of T. penetrans seems to occur mainly outdoors.

Received September 21, 2006. Accepted for publication October 25, 2006.

Acknowledgments: We thank Michi Feldmeier for secretarial assistance.

Financial support: The study was supported by a grant from Bayer Crop Science (Monheim, Germany).

* Address for correspondence: Hermann Feldmeier, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 27, D-12203 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: hermann.feldmeier{at}charite.de

Authors’ addresses: Lars Witt, Stefan Schwalfenberg, and Hermann Feldmeier, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Charité University Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 27, D-12203 Berlin, Germany, Fax: 49-4181-36943, E-mails: wittlars{at}web.de, sschwalfenberg{at}web.de, and hermann.feldmeier{at}charite.de. Jörg Heukelbach, Department of Community Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceara, Rua Professor Costa Mendes 1608, Fortaleza CE 60931-140, Brazil, Fax: 55-85-278-3093, E-mail: Heukelbach{at}web.de. Ronaldo A. Ribeiro, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceara, Av. Cel. Nunes de Mela 1315, Fortaleza CE 60430-270, Brazil, Fax: 55-85-3366-8333. Gundel Harms, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Spandauer Damm 130, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Fax: 49-30-30102743, E-mail: gundel.harms{at}charite.de.






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Copyright © 2007 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.