Species distribution of trombiculid mites on murine rodents in Rangoon, Burma.

Ectoparasite collections from over 12,000 commensal rodents and shrews in Rangoon were examined. Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, R. exulans and Bandicota bengalensis were found to host 12 species of trombiculid mites. Ascoschoengastia indica was the most abundant trombiculid found representing 84% of the total sample of 15,000 chiggers. This species (A. indica) may be of considerable significance as a vector of murine typhus.