The prevalence and abundance of mite ectoparasites on house mice in urban cities in New Jersey

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a major pest found in urban cities globally. House mice can carry ectoparasites and bring medical risks to human. In this study, 302 house mice were trapped using Sherman live traps (114 mice) and snap traps (188 mice) from four sites including residential buildings and a farm located in New Jersey. In residential buildings, the mite infestation rates were 25–66% from Sherman-trapped mice and 47–92% from snap-trapped mice. At the farm site, the mite infestation rates of Sherman-trapped mice and snap-trapped mice were 84% and 89%, respectively. Only mites were found from all trapped mice. In residential buildings, three species of mites were identified with Liponyssoides sanguineus being the most common species both in prevalence (52%) and relative abundance (43%). The farm site also had three mite species identified with Myocoptes musculinus being the most common species (86% in prevalence and 96% in relative abundance). Liponyssoides sanguineus was only found in residential building sites and E. butantanensis was only found at the farm site. The results revealed the potential health risks from mouse ectoparasites and their presence is associated with building types.