Ectoparasites collected from raccoon (Procyon lotor) road-killed near the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Tsukuba

Abstract

In October 2023, a road-killed raccoon was collected near the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and external parasites were collected from its entire body surface. Haemaphysalis flava, H. longicornis, Ctenocephalides felis, and species of Trichodectids were collected. Two species of tick are known as vectors of Japanese spotted fever and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, while the cat flea harbors Bartonella henserae. These results indicate that the urban wildlife such as raccoons, carries multiple ectoparasites that can bite humans, and transmit vector-borne pathogens. It is recommended that workers in wildlife management should take precautions against zoonoses.