Morphological characterization and molecular surveillance of fleas infesting domestic and companion animals in Malwa region, Central India: One health approach

Domestic and companion animals (n=2,942) of the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh were screened physically for the presence of fleas, from July 2019 to January 2020. A total of 974 fleas were collected and were morphologically identified as Ctenocephalides orientis. The infestation rate was 3.26% (95% CI: 2.12-4.39). The highest infestation rate (in percentage) was found in cats (14.3), followed by horses (6.25), goats (4.13), dogs (3.21), cattle (2.91), buffalo (2.59), and sheep (2.14), respectively. The infestation rate correlated with specific animal species and exhibited seasonal patterns. None of the pooled flea samples were positive for the presence of Rickettsia organisms by conventional PCR.