Ectoparasites of road-killed vertebrates in northwestern South Carolina, USA

Abstract

Road-killed animals are overlooked as the source of ectoparasites for monitoring vectors of zoonotic pathogens. We demonstrate that by exclusively sampling road-killed animals, a wide spectrum of vertebrate hosts and ectoparasites can be collected. Fifty-one species of ectoparasites were recovered from 35 species of road-killed vertebrates in northwestern South Carolina. Approximately, 11% of the total known terrestrial vertebrate species in the region were examined, which included more than 25% of the known mammal species. Our sampling techniques produced new state and regional records for chewing lice, ticks, and parasitic mites. Most ectoparasites were alive when they were collected, which would allow them to be screened for zoonotic pathogens.