Abstract
In October 2000, a program was begun in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan to eradicate the small Asian mongoose, Herpestes javanicus. Of the small Asian mongooses captured between October 2000 and April 2004, a total of 2,406 animals were examined and 391 fleas were collected from 224 of the animals. Of the total fleas collected, 370 were identified to the species level and were identified as belonging to a single species, Ctenocephalides felis. The remaining 21 fleas escaped and could not be identified. The wide distribution of this flea species in cat and dog on Okinawajima Island has already been reported. However, this is the first record of fleas collected from mongooses inhabiting Okinawajima Island. As both male and female individuals of C. felis were found on a single mongoose, they can reproduce very easily. This flea species is often cited as the cause of zoonosis, and this study may provide significant information for the prevention of zoonosis. As the mongoose appears to be one of the major host species for the fleas on this island, it is important to control the mongoose population on Okinawajima Island.
