TITLE:
Potential Species Distribution and Richness of Ixodidae Ticks Associated with Wild Vertebrates from Michoacán, Mexico
AUTHORS:
Margarita Vargas-Sandoval, Angel G. Priego-Santander, Alejandra Larrazábal, Carolina G. Sosa-Gutiérrez, Blanca Lara-Chávez, Teresita Avila-Val
KEYWORDS:
Ticks, Ixodidae, Michoacán, Geographic Distribution, Potential Species Richness
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geographic Information System,
Vol.6 No.5,
October
6,
2014
ABSTRACT: Ticks are regarded as the most
relevant vectors of disease-causing pathogens in domestic and wild animals. The
diversity of Ixodidae is known for a very small number of genera.Ixodesare represented by 26 species, andin2007
the first reported ticks vectors in Mexico for the causal agent of Lyme
disease. Recent rise in tick-borne disease in many parts of the world is a
phenomenon in need of an explanation. The main objective of the present work
was to map at a regional scale (1:2,000,000)ofthe distribution of ticks of the
family Ixodidae that are potentially present on the wild fauna of state of
Michoacan, Mexico. We compiled all available literature on ticks at a national
level together with complete cartographic and bibliographic georeferenced
information of the distribution of hosts in order to build a spatial database
in ArcView 3.3. The results indicated that the wild fauna in the state’s territory
could potentially include 31 species of ticks of Ixodidae. The map of potential
species richness of ixodid ticks on the wild fauna of the state can be
categorized into five classes of species richness. The highest potential
concentration of ixodid species on wild fauna occurs in the volcanic area of
Pico de Tancítaro.