FLEAS AND FLEA-BORNE DISEASES IN SINGAPORE: DIVERSITY, TRENDS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS.

Understanding and controlling vectors and vector-borne diseases is critical for maintaining public health in Singapore. Although mosquitoes, ticks, and the diseases they cause have attracted strong attention from researchers in recent years, fleas and flea-borne diseases remain largely neglected in Singapore. To stimulate research on this neglected topic, we examine trends in flea-borne rickettsiosis in Singapore from 2016-2022. Trends in these data indicate that the majority of cases are locally acquired and are more common in males, migrant workers, and teens/young adults from ages 15-34. In addition, the bat flea Thaumapsylla breviceps is recorded from Singapore for the first time along with the first records of Ctenocephalides felis from Paradoxurus hermaphroditus and Canis familiaris in Singapore. A checklist of the fleas of Singapore with a host index is presented and the present state of knowledge on the diversity of fleas and flea-borne diseases in Singapore is discussed. Finally, a roadmap is presented to provide a direction for future research and public policy to more effectively address the challenges associated with fleas and flea-borne diseases in Singapore.