The main goal of this investigation was to record the ectoparasites living on rodents in scrub typhus endemic areas of Kerala state, India. Rodents captured alive using Sherman and wonder traps from four diverse habitations revealed, a total of 59 rodents/shrews constituted by 5 host species from families Muridae and Soricidae. In total, 1135 ectoparasites were collected on these rodents/shrews and were identified representing 23 species from 10 genera in 4 families Trombiculidae, Laelaptidae, Ixodidae and Pulicidae. Dominant insectivore species was Suncus murinus (57.6%). 42 (71.2%) rodents and shrews were found to be plagued with at least one of the 23 species of ectoparasite harvested. Mites belonging to the family Trombiculidae were the predominant ectoparasite species collected. Study revealed Tatera indica (35.5%) as the primary host harboring the chigger mites. Xenopsylla cheopis and Xenopsylla astia the flea species important vectors for the transmission of zoonotic diseases such as Leptotrombidium deliense, Schoengastiella ligula and Echinolaelaps echidninus were recorded. Twenty species of mites were reported for the first time in Kerala which add knowledge on the ectoparasites distribution.

Scrub typhus cases have been reported in Madurai, but very little is known about the distribution patterns of ectoparasites on rodents and shrews in the Madurai district. To determine the chigger vectors of scrub typhus, Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, Mus musculus, and Suncus murinus were collected from these areas and the prevalence and mean intensity were calculated as 40% & 14.8 ± 3.9 for chiggers. Mites were collected from burrow soil samples. The chiggers Leptotrombidium deliense and Schoengastiella ligula, both known as vectors for the transmission of Orientia tsutsugamushi in India, were recorded in this study. In addition, Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, a putative vector of Indian tick typhus and canine ehrlichiosis, and the oriental rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis, a known vector of the plague pathogen Yersinia pestis, were also reported. They have high zoonotic potential and have been implicated in the transmission of the aforementioned emerging zoonotic diseases. Parapathi is a typical scrub typhus village with lots of rat burrows found around many houses and many reported scrub typhus cases. Rodents and shrews collected from these areas harboured vectors of medical and veterinary importance and act as endemic reservoir for transmitting zoonotic diseases which requires urgent attention for its control. http://www. zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5EFDD3BC-B9BA-4595-A02E-8AAEB4E7D755

Objective: To identify the risk factors for acquiring scrub typhus infection among all age group. Methods: A case-control study was carried out from June to December 2019 in collaboration with the Department of Health Services, Kerala. 136 Of serologically confirmed scrub typhus reported during 2018 were included and 270 age and sex-matched healthy controls were selected randomly from different locations in the same area where the cases were reported. The risk factors identified were compared between cases and controls, using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify the risk factors for scrub typhus infection. Results: Some key factors like house type with individuals residing in houses with concrete roofs are associated with a higher risk of scrub typhus infection compared to tiled roofs (aOR 0.14, 95% CI 0.36-0.56, P=0.005). Housewives exhibit a significantly higher risk (aOR 3.97, 95% CI 2.15-8.94, P=0.038) of scrub typhus infection. Environmental factors, including the presence of rats (aOR 3.48, 95% CI 1.19-6.53, P=0.023), the presence of domestic animals (aOR 2.98, 95% CI 1.67-5.19, P<0.001), wet agricultural fields around the house (aOR 3.64, 95% CI 1.50-6.54, P<0.001), and hygiene practices like not changing clothes after work (aOR 2.64, 95% CI 1.37-4.68, P=0.024), and disposing of the wastes in their own yard (aOR 4.79, 95% CI 3.78-9.55, P=0.043) are identified as significant high-risk factors for scrub typhus infection. Conclusions: These findings will be very useful to create awareness among the public and to undertake a detailed control strategy for scrub typhus.