| Summary: | Deer keds (genus Lipoptena), are hematophagous ectoparasites which typically infest wild ruminants. However, the information on the distribution and abundance of deer keds on their mammalian hosts is still scarce, especially in Lithuania. Recently, Lipoptena cervi has been confi rmed as vector of some Bartonella species. Bartonella pathogens are highly adapted to their mammalian hosts, in which they cause chronic relapsing intraerythrocytic bacteraemia. This study represents the fi rst record of deer keds from cervids with the presence of Bartonella pathogens in Lithuania. The furs of cervids (roe deer, red deer and moose) harvested through the hunting during 2016-2017 were examined for deer keds. Taxonomic identifi cation of deer keds was based on description of morphological characteristics of pupae and adults and sequence analysis of mitochondrial COI gene. Our investigation demonstrates that cervids in Lithuania are infested with two different species of deer keds Lipoptena cervi and L. fortisetosa. The highest infestation rate was detected in moose (Alces alces). PCR assay and sequence analysis based on rpoB gene and 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ITS) were used for detection and molecular characterization of Bartonella spp. in deer keds. Bartonella DNA was detected in both species of deer keds with high prevalence. Bartonella strains detected in deer keds were heterogenic. Obtained Bartonella ITS and rpoB sequences derived from L. cervi and L. fortisetosa showed 96-99 % similarity with B.schoenbuchensis, B.chomelii and B.caprioli species. The present study is the first molecular identification of L. cervi and L. fortisetosa in Lithuania and the first detection of Bartonella spp. in L. fortisetosa.
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