Prevalens Sengkenit terhadap Mamalia Kecil pada Habitat Berbeza di Tasek Bera, Pahang

Prevalence of Ticks on Small Mammals in Different Habitats at Tasek Bera, Pahang

Abstract

Tasek Bera yang terletak di Pahang, Malaysia merupakan salah satu tasik semula jadi terbesar di negara, dengan kepelbagaian flora
dan fauna yang tinggi. Kawasan ini menyediakan habitat bagi mamalia kecil yang memainkan peranan penting dalam rantaian
makanan ekosistem. Mamalia kecil juga bertindak sebagai perumah kepada sengkenit, yang berpotensi membawa patogen dan
menyebarkan penyakit kepada manusia. Maklumat berkaitan mamalia kecil dan sengkenit di tasik semula jadi khususnya Tasek
Bera masih tiada dilaporkan. Oleh itu, kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan kepelbagaian spesies mamalia kecil dan
mengenalpasti spesies sengkenit serta prevalensnya di Tasek Bera. Kajian dijalankan di tiga habitat berbeza di sekitar Tasek Bera,
iaitu hutan, sekitar tasik, dan pertanian campuran. Sebanyak 30 perangkap diletakkan secara rawak di setiap habitat, dan pencarian
sengkenit dilakukan pada badan mamalia kecil yang ditangkap sebelum dibebaskan. Spesies mamalia kecil dikenalpasti berdasarkan
morfologi, manakala sengkenit dikenalpasti berdasarkan ukuran morfologi dan disahkan melalui kaedah molekul. Sebanyak 124
individu mamalia kecil ditangkap dari semua lokasi kajian, yang didominasi oleh spesies Cynopterus brachyotis (volan) dan Rattus
rattus diardii (bukan volan). Daripada jumlah ini, 29 individu diinfestasi oleh sengkenit. Berdasarkan analisis molekul, lima spesies
sengkenit berjaya dikenalpasti, iaitu Ixodes granulatus, Dermacentor atrosignatus, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Amblyomma
cordiferum dan Dermacentor auratus. Kajian ini menyediakan maklumat asas mengenai sengkenit pada perumah mamalia kecil di
Tasek Bera. Kepelbagaian dan kepadatan infestasi sengkenit yang tinggi menjadi petunjuk kepada kepelbagaian mamalia kecil yang
tinggi, namun terdapat beberapa implikasi terhadap ekosistem dan manusia yang perlu diberi perhatian.
Tasek Bera, located in Pahang, Malaysia, is one of the largest natural lakes in the country, featuring high biodiversity of flora and
fauna. This area provides a habitat for small mammals, which play a crucial role in the food chain of the ecosystem. Small mammals
also serve as hosts for ticks, which have the potential to carry pathogens and spread diseases to humans. Information regarding
small mammals and ticks in natural lakes, particularly Tasek Bera, has not been reported. Therefore, this study aims to determine
the diversity of small mammal species and identify tick species along with their prevalence at Tasek Bera. The study was conducted
in three different habitats around Tasek Bera: forest, lakeside, and mixed agriculture. A total of 30 traps were randomly placed in
each habitat, and ticks were searched for on the bodies of the small mammals caught before they were released. The small mammal
species were identified based on morphology, while the ticks were identified based on morphological measurements and confirmed
through molecular methods. A total of 124 individual small mammals were captured from all study locations, dominated by
Cynopterus brachyotis and Rattus rattus diardii. Of these, 29 individuals were infested with ticks. Based on molecular analysis, five
tick species were identified: Ixodes granulatus, Dermacentor atrosignatus, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Amblyomma cordiferum and
Dermacentor auratus. This study provides baseline information on ticks infesting small mammal hosts at Tasek Bera. The high
diversity and density of tick infestations are indicators of the high diversity of small mammals, though there are several implications
for the ecosystem and human health that need attention.