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Breyer GM, Rocha Jacques da Silva ME, Slaviero M, Albuquerque de Almeida B, Machado Sousa da Silva E, de Queiroz Schmidt VR, Alievi M, Maboni G, Petinatti Pavarini S, Maboni Siqueira F. Genotypic characterization of Streptococcus didelphis causative of fatal infection in white-eared opossums. Lett Appl Microbiol 2023; 76:ovad131. [PMID: 37968138 DOI: 10.1093/lambio/ovad131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus didelphis was once reported as related to severe infections in opossums. Thus, we present the first comprehensive whole-genome characterization of clinical S. didelphis strains isolated from white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris). Long-read whole-genome sequencing was performed using the MinION platform, which allowed the prediction of several genomic features. We observed that S. didelphis genomes harbor a cluster for streptolysin biosynthesis and a conserved genomic island with genes involved in transcriptional regulation (arlR) and transmembrane transport (bcrA). Antimicrobial resistance genes for several drug classes were found, including beta-lactam, which is the main antimicrobial class used in Streptococcus spp. infections; however, no phenotypical resistance was observed. In addition, we predicted the presence of 33 virulence factors in the analyzed genomes. High phylogenetic similarity was observed between clinical and reference strains, yet no clonality was suggested. We also proposed dnaN, gki, pros, and xpt as housekeeping candidates to be used in S. didelphis sequence typing. This is the first whole-genome characterization of S. didelphis, whose data provide important insights into its pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Merker Breyer
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Eduarda Rocha Jacques da Silva
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Mônica Slaviero
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Bruno Albuquerque de Almeida
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Emanoelly Machado Sousa da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Victória Regina de Queiroz Schmidt
- Preservas-Núcleo de Conservação e Reabilitação de Animais Silvestres, Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Alievi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Preservas-Núcleo de Conservação e Reabilitação de Animais Silvestres, Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Grazieli Maboni
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, NIG 2W1 - Guelph/ON, Canada
| | - Saulo Petinatti Pavarini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
| | - Franciele Maboni Siqueira
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 9090 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, 91540-000 - Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil
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López Y, Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Muñoz-Leal S, Contreras V, Calderón A, Rivero R, Muñoz M, Ramírez JD, Mattar S. Borrelia puertoricensis in opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) from Colombia. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:448. [PMID: 38049822 PMCID: PMC10694944 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06016-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genus Borrelia comprises pathogenic species of bacteria that pose a significant risk to public health. Borrelia spp. are emerging or reemerging infectious agents worldwide with complex transmission cycles, and many species use rodents as vertebrate reservoir hosts. Spirochetes morphologically compatible with Borrelia have been recurrently observed in opossums; however, there is currently a lack of genetic evidence confirming infection or supporting that these marsupials are hosts of Borrelia spirochetes. METHODS During 2017, 53 serum samples of Didelphis marsupialis from the municipality of Colosó (department of Sucre, Colombia) were collected and allocated in a serum bank. DNA extracted from the serum samples was submitted to a Borrelia genus-specific real-time PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Positive samples were subsequently derived from semi-nested PCR protocols to obtain large fragments of the 16S rRNA and flaB genes. Obtained amplicons were subjected to Sanger sequencing. One positive sample was randomly selected for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Obtained reads were mapped to genomes of Borrelia spp. and sequences of two genes used in a multilocus sequence typing scheme retrieved for taxonomic assignment and phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS Overall, 18.8% (10/53) of the samples were positive by qPCR. Of them, 80% (8/10) and 60% (6/10) were positive for the 16S rRNA and flaB genes after semi-nested PCRs, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis of one sample sequenced with NGS yielded 22 reads of genus Borrelia with different sizes. Two housekeeping genes, rplB and pyrG, were recovered. Nucleotide pairwise comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA, flaB, rplB and pyrG genes showed that the Borrelia sp. found in opossums from Colosó corresponded to Borrelia puertoricensis. CONCLUSIONS We describe the first molecular evidence to our knowledge of B. puertoricensis in Colombia, specifically in opossums, and the first detection of this spirochete in a vertebrate host since its isolation from Ornithodoros puertoricensis in Panama. This detection is also relevant because of the epidemiological importance of opossums as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesica López
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Colombia
| | - Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez
- Servicio de Infectología, Hospital Militar Central, Bogotá, Colombia
- Servicios y Asesorías en Infectología - SAI, Bogotá, Colombia
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | - Verónica Contreras
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Colombia
| | - Alfonso Calderón
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Colombia
| | - Ricardo Rivero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Colombia
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Salim Mattar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Colombia.
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Cardoso ERN, Carvalho SF, Dias SA, Santos RA, Tavares MA, Neves LC, Paula WVDF, Pádua GT, de Lima NJ, Paludo RLDR, Silva IS, Bittencourt RBM, dos Santos GC, Nascimento FGDJ, de Paula LGF, Dantas-Torres F, Monteiro CMDO, Krawczak FDS. Susceptibility of Amblyomma sculptum, Vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, Ticks from a National Park and an Experimental Farm to Different Synthetic Acaricides. Pathogens 2023; 12:1304. [PMID: 38003769 PMCID: PMC10675591 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12111304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyomma sculptum is a relevant tick species from a One Health perspective, playing an important role as a vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the main agent of spotted fever rickettsiosis in Brazil. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of two A. sculptum populations from Goiás state (midwestern Brazil) to different acaricides. The first tick population (GYN strain) originated from an experimental farm, where the ticks are annually exposed to acaricides. The second (PNE strain) was collected in a national park (Emas National Park), where the ticks had not been exposed to acaricides. Immersion tests were conducted with 21-day-old laboratory-reared larvae and nymphs originating from adult ticks collected in the areas mentioned above. The chosen acaricides were two synthetic pyrethroids (cypermethrin and deltamethrin), one organophosphate (chlorfenvinphos), one formamidine (amitraz), and two combinations of pyrethroids and organophosphates (cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos and citronellal; cypermethrin, fenthion and chlorpyrifos). Mortality data were used to determine the lethal concentration (LC) values at which 50%, 90%, and 99% of the ticks died (LC50, LC90, and LC99, respectively), and resistance ratios (RR) were calculated based on the LC values. The RR revealed differences between the acaricide-exposed (GYN) and unexposed (PNE) tick strains. The PNE strain larvae and nymphs were susceptible to all the tested acaricides. The GYN strain larvae were tolerant to cypermethrin, whereas the nymphs were tolerant to deltamethrin, chlorfenvinphos, and the combination of cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, and citronellal (2 < RR ≤ 10). The GYN strain nymphs were resistant to amitraz (RR > 10). This is the first report of A. sculptum nymphs with resistance to amitraz and tolerance to deltamethrin, chlorfenvinphos, and the combination of cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, and citronellal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ennya Rafaella Neves Cardoso
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Stephani Félix Carvalho
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Sarah Alves Dias
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Rayane Almeida Santos
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Mariana Avelar Tavares
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Lucianne Cardoso Neves
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Warley Vieira de Freitas Paula
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Gracielle Teles Pádua
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Raquel Loren dos Reis Paludo
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Isabela Santos Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia, Ecologia e Controle de Carrapatos—LABEC, Centro de Parasitologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (I.S.S.); (C.M.D.O.M.)
| | - Raphaela Bueno Mendes Bittencourt
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Gabriel Cândido dos Santos
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Flavia Giovana de Jesus Nascimento
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Luiza Gabriella Ferreira de Paula
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
| | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Recife 50740-465, Brazil;
| | - Caio Marcio De Oliveira Monteiro
- Laboratório de Biologia, Ecologia e Controle de Carrapatos—LABEC, Centro de Parasitologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (I.S.S.); (C.M.D.O.M.)
| | - Felipe da Silva Krawczak
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias—LADOPAR, Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (E.R.N.C.); (S.F.C.); (S.A.D.); (R.A.S.); (M.A.T.); (L.C.N.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (G.T.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (R.L.d.R.P.); (R.B.M.B.); (G.C.d.S.); (F.G.d.J.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.)
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Ballados-González GG, Bravo-Ramos JL, Grostieta E, Andrade-López AN, Ramos-Vázquez JR, Chong-Guzmán LA, Moctezuma-Díaz LÁ, Colunga-Salas P, Miranda-Caballero CI, Álvarez-Castillo L, Cruz-Romero A, Aguilar-Domínguez M, Becker I, Sánchez-Montes S. Confirmation of the presence of Rickettsia felis infecting Ornithodoros puertoricensis in Mexico. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:219-227. [PMID: 36346249 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Soft ticks are neglected competent vectors of a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms, among which bacteria of the genera Rickettsia and Borrelia stand out. In Mexico, previous studies have shown the presence of a member of the Ornithodoros talaje complex in the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae Kerr) from southeastern Mexico. However, its specific identification has not been achieved. Two D. virginiana were treated in a private clinic during the period of April-May 2022. Tick larvae were manually removed, DNA extraction was performed, and some genes from various bacterial and parasitic pathogens were amplified and sequenced. A total of 96 larvae were recovered, which were morphologically identified as Ornithodoros puertoricensis (Ixodida: Argasidae Fox); the 16 S sequences showed a similarity of 96.79%-99.51% with sequences of O. puertoricensis from Panama and Colombia. The presence of Rickettsia felis (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae Bouyer et al.) was detected in 15 specimens from one host. The soft tick O. puertoricensis is recorded for the first time as an ectoparasite of the Virginia opossum in America and represents the second report for this soft tick in Mexico since 1963. This represents the most northern record of this tick species in its geographic distribution and brings a new soft tick-Rickettsia association.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José L Bravo-Ramos
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Estefania Grostieta
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | - Pablo Colunga-Salas
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Carlos I Miranda-Caballero
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Lucía Álvarez-Castillo
- Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Anabel Cruz-Romero
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | | | - Ingeborg Becker
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sokani Sánchez-Montes
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias región Tuxpan, Universidad Veracruzana, Túxpan de Rodríguez Cano, Mexico
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Tarragona EL, Flores FS, Lamattina D, Torrents J, Sebastian PS, Nava S. Two novel Ehrlichia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) strains detected in ticks (Ixodida, Ixodidae) and opossums (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) in Argentina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102043. [PMID: 36150285 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine if there is circulation of microorganisms of the genus Ehrlichia in opossums Didelphis albiventris and their ticks from the Humid Chaco in Argentina. Blood samples of 15 specimens of the opossum D. albiventris were analysed. Immature stages of the ticks Amblyomma ovale (Larvae=26; Nymphs=10), Amblyomma sculptum (Larvae=86; Nymphs=6) and Ornithodoros sp. cf. O. mimon (Larvae=90) were also analyzed. DNA was extracted individually from blood samples and ticks. Molecular detection of Ehrlichia agents was performed targeting two different loci: 16S rRNA and dsb gen. The phylogenetic analyses showed that the Ehrlichia sp. detected in D. albiventris in this study is identical to Ehrlichia sp. strain Natal previously detected in two marsupials from Brazil. Furthermore, a new Ehrlichia strain was amplified from an A. ovale nymph (named as Ehrlichia sp. strain El Bagual) which is phylogenetically closely related to a strain of Ehrlichia sp. detected in Bradypus tridactylus in Brazil. The findings of the current study represent the first report of these two strains of Ehrlichia for Argentina, showing that the diversity of Ehrlichia spp. is greater than previously assumed. Further studies should determine the epidemiological relevance of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina L Tarragona
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA - CONICET) Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina. CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Fernando S Flores
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICiVet-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Daniela Lamattina
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical (INMeT) - ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Almafuerte y Ámbar S/N, CP 3370, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina/CONICET
| | - Jorgelina Torrents
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Kreder 2805, CP 3080 Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Patrick S Sebastian
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA - CONICET) Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina. CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA - CONICET) Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina. CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
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6
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Rocha JM, de Oliveira PB, da Costa-Neto SF, Ogrzewalska MH, Martins TF, Faccini JLH, Alvarez MRDV, Luz HR, Albuquerque GR. Molecular Detection of Rickettsia parkeri Strain Atlantic Rainforest in Ticks Parasitizing Small Mammals in Northeastern Brazil. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:1657-1666. [PMID: 36125653 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-022-00617-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Small mammals are important reservoirs of ticks and their pathogens in nature. However, studies reporting these associations are still rare in Brazil. In the present study, we investigated the presence of Rickettsia DNA in ticks parasitizing rodents and marsupials captured in different areas throughout the Atlantic rainforest biome, Bahia, Northeastern (NE), Brazil. METHODS The study was conducted in five municipalities within of the Atlantic Forest biome, Bahia state, in NE Brazil. Two campaigns were done in each municipality. For host captures Sherman and Tomahawk traps were used, and pitfall traps. After being captured, the hosts were anesthetized and their entire body examined for ticks. When ticks were detected, they were manually removed and stored in eppendorf tubes (1.5 ml) containing absolute PA ethanol for future laboratory analysis (identification of ticks and detection of Rickettsia spp.). RESULTS A total of 609 mammals were captured. Overall, 208 ticks of the genus Amblyomma and Ixodes were collected: A. ovale, I. loricatus and A. varium. Rickettsia DNA was detected in A. ovale and it was 99-100% of identity to the sequence deposited in GenBank as Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantica rainforest. CONCLUSION These results suggest that R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest occurs in the region, and A. ovale is likely the vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiane M Rocha
- Postgraduate Program in Animal Science. State University of Santa Cruz, UESC, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil
| | - Philipe B de Oliveira
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | - Thiago F Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - João L H Faccini
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Martin R D V Alvarez
- Department of Biological Sciences (DCB), Mammal Collection (CMARF), State University of Santa Curz (UESC), Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Hermes R Luz
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Environment, and Biodiversity and Conservation, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
| | - George R Albuquerque
- Postgraduate Program in Animal Science. State University of Santa Cruz, UESC, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil
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7
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Blanton LS, Quade BR, Ramírez-Hernández A, Mendell NL, Villasante-Tezanos A, Bouyer DH, VandeBerg JL, Walker DH. Experimental Rickettsia typhi Infection in Monodelphis domestica: Implications for Opossums as an Amplifying Host in the Suburban Cycle of Murine Typhus. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:102-109. [PMID: 35895366 PMCID: PMC9294699 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Murine typhus is an acute undifferentiated febrile illness caused by Rickettsia typhi. In the United States, its reemergence appears to be driven by a shift from the classic rat-rat flea cycle of transmission to one involving opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and cat fleas. Little is known of the ability of opossums to act as a reservoir and amplifying host for R. typhi. Here, we use Monodelphis domestica (the laboratory opossum) as a surrogate for D. virginiana. Opossums were inoculated via the intraperitoneal (IP) or intradermal (ID) route with 1 × 106 viable R. typhi. Blood and tissues were collected on days 6, 13, 20, and 27 or if moribund. Although one ID-infected opossum died, the remainder did not appear ill, whereas half of the IP-inoculated animals succumbed to infection. Rickettsemia was demonstrated in all animals through week 2 of infection and sporadically in weeks 3 and 4. Rickettsia typhi DNA was detected in all tissues, with most animals demonstrating the presence of bacteria into weeks 3 and 4. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry demonstrated typical findings of rickettsial infection. Akin to infection in rats, the demonstration of disseminated infection, typical inflammation, and prolonged rickettsemia with relatively few clinical effects (especially in the more natural route of ID inoculation) supports the potential of opossums to act as a competent mammalian reservoir and component of the zoonotic maintenance cycle of R. typhi. Understanding the dynamics of infection within opossums may have implications for the prevention and control of murine typhus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas S. Blanton
- Department of Internal Medicine—Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;,Address correspondence to Lucas S. Blanton, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0435. E-mail:
| | - Bethany R. Quade
- Department of Internal Medicine—Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | | | - Nicole L. Mendell
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | | | - Donald H. Bouyer
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - John L. VandeBerg
- Department of Human Genetics, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, and Center for Vector-Borne Diseases, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas
| | - David H. Walker
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
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8
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Pérez JE, Estrada GI, Zapata Y, Hidalgo M, Serna CC, Castro DC, González C. Frequency of antibodies and seroconversion against Rickettsia spp in patients consulting health institutions in the department of Caldas, Colombia, 2016-2019. BIOMEDICA : REVISTA DEL INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE SALUD 2021; 41:103-117. [PMID: 34669282 PMCID: PMC8724692 DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.5712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Rickettsioses are zoonotic diseases transmitted by arthropods acting as vectors and reservoirs. Disease symptoms are nonspecific and, therefore, their clinical diagnosis is difficult. Indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) is the gold standard assay for diagnosis. The interest for conducting studies on these pathologies has resurfaced in Colombia since 2001; besides, previous studies have evidenced cases of rickettsiosis in the north of the department of Caldas. Objective: To establish the frequency of antibodies and seroconversion against Rickettsia spp. In patients consulting health institutions in Caldas, Colombia, from 2016 to 2019. Materials and methods: We conducted a quantitative, observational, and descriptive study on a non-probabilistic sample of 175 patients with symptoms compatible with rickettsiosis who consulted in different municipalities of Caldas, Colombia; IFA was performed to detect antibodies in the acute and convalescent phases against Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia typhi, and Rickettsia felis. Results: The average age of the patients was 31 years. The municipalities with the highest proportion of seropositive cases were Belalcázar, Chinchiná, Filadelfia, La Dorada, La Merced, and Manizales; 66% of patients owned pets and 12% reported arthropod bites. The most frequent signs and symptoms were headache (69.7%), arthromyalgia (60%), and fever (58.2%). IgG seroprevalence was 60% for R. rickettsii, 47.9% for R. typhi, and, and 24% for R. felis. Eight patients presented seroconversion. Conclusion: We found evidence of the circulation of Rickettsia species from the spotted fever group and the typhus group associated with human cases in Caldas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Enrique Pérez
- Grupo de Investigación Biosalud, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia.
| | - Gloria Inés Estrada
- Facultad de Ciencias para la Salud, Universidad Católica de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia.
| | - Yuliana Zapata
- Facultad de Ciencias para la Salud, Universidad Católica de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia.
| | - Marylin Hidalgo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
| | - Cristian Camilo Serna
- Grupo de Investigación Gebiome, Programa de Biología, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia.
| | - Diego Camilo Castro
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia.
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9
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Binder LC, Ramírez-Hernández A, Serpa MCDA, Moraes-Filho J, Pinter A, Scinachi CA, Labruna MB. Domestic dogs as amplifying hosts of Rickettsia rickettsii for Amblyomma aureolatum ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101824. [PMID: 34520994 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, which is transmitted by different tick species. Due to deleterious effects caused on ticks, the horizontal transmission of R. rickettsii through amplifying hosts is crucial for its maintenance in tick populations among BSF-endemic areas. The tick Amblyomma aureolatum is the main vector of R. rickettsii in the São Paulo metropolitan area; nevertheless, it is not known which vertebrate could act as an amplifying host for this tick species. Herein, we evaluated the potential of domestic dogs - primary hosts for A. aureolatum adults in BSF-endemic areas - to act as amplifying hosts. For this purpose, A. aureolatum non-infected adults were allowed to feed on two groups of dogs: the control group (G1), composed of one dog not exposed to R. rickettsii; and, the infected group (G2), composed of three dogs infected with R. rickettsii via tick parasitism. All G2-dogs became ill, seroconverted to R. rickettsii, and rickettsial DNA was detected in 87% of the engorged females that fed on them. Transovarial transmission rate was estimated to be 25% and infected larvae successfully transmitted R. rickettsii to guinea-pigs, confirming transovarial transmission and vector competence. No rickettsial DNA was detected in individual samples of eggs or larvae, which precluded the estimation of filial infection rate, but implies that it was low. Our results suggest that domestic dogs act as amplifying hosts of R. rickettsii for A. aureolatum ticks in BSF-endemic areas in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina C Binder
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Alejandro Ramírez-Hernández
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Grupo Parasitología Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Maria Carolina de Azevedo Serpa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jonas Moraes-Filho
- Mestrado em Medicina e Bem-estar Animal, Doutorado com ênfase em Saúde Única, Universidade Santo Amaro, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriano Pinter
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudia A Scinachi
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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10
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Oliveira RPAD, Collere FCM, Ferrari LDR, Coradi VDS, Soares NDA, Leandro ADS, Oliveira WFD, Galvão SR, Kafka R, Delai RM, Martini R, Saldanha A, Santos LPD, Cubas ZS, Lange RR, Vieira TSWJ, Vieira RFDC. 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemoalbiventris' and tick-borne pathogens screening in white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris) from Curitiba and Foz do Iguaçu Cities, Paraná State, southern Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2021; 30:e009721. [PMID: 34495043 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612021072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Hemoplasmas are epierythrocytic bacteria that infect mammals. 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemoalbiventris' was detected in white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris) from southern and central-western Brazil. The present study aimed at: i) screening opossums for tick-borne (TBP) pathogens (Piroplasmida and Anaplasmataceae) and ii) detecting and characterizing hemoplasma species infecting opossums from Curitiba and Foz do Iguaçu cities in the Paraná State, southern Brazil. Thirty blood samples from white-eared opossums were evaluated by PCR assays. Animals were not infested by ectoparasites. The mammalian endogenous gapdh gene was consistently amplified in all samples. All opossums tested negative for Theileria/Babesia spp. and Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. by PCR based on 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes, respectively. A genus-specific PCR assay based on the 16S rRNA gene of hemoplasmas showed that three/13 (23.08%; CI 95%: 8.18-50.26%) opossums from Foz do Iguaçu were positive for hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. All opossums from Curitiba tested negative for hemoplasmas. Sequencing of both the 16S and 23S rRNA genes revealed that the animals were infected by 'Ca. M. haemoalbiventris'. Although 'Ca. M. haemoalbiventris' is prevalent in opossums in Brazil, clinical signs associated with its infection and its putative vectors remain unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Flávia Carolina Meira Collere
- Laboratório de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - Larissa Dantas Roeder Ferrari
- Laboratório de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - Vanessa Dos Santos Coradi
- Laboratório de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - Nathália de Albuquerque Soares
- Laboratório de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - André de Souza Leandro
- Unidade de Vigilância em Zoonoses, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil
| | | | - Sandro Roberto Galvão
- Unidade de Vigilância em Zoonoses, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil
| | - Rosinei Kafka
- Unidade de Vigilância em Zoonoses, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil
| | - Robson Michael Delai
- Laboratório de Saúde Única, Centro de Medicina Tropical das Três Fronteiras, Fundação Itaiguapy, Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil
| | - Rafaella Martini
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - André Saldanha
- Laboratório de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - Leonardo Pereira Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | | | - Rogério Ribas Lange
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | | | - Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira
- Laboratório de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.,Global One Health initiative - GOHi, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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11
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Serpa MCDA, Luz HR, Costa FB, Weck BC, Benatti HR, Martins TF, Correa LS, Ramirez DG, Rocha V, Dias TC, Correa LR, Brasil J, Brites-Neto J, Nievas AM, Suzin A, Monticelli PF, Moro MEG, Lopes B, Pacheco RC, Aguiar DM, Piovezan U, Szabó MPJ, Ferraz KMPMB, Percequillo AR, Labruna MB, Ramos VN. Small mammals, ticks and rickettsiae in natural and human-modified landscapes: Diversity and occurrence of Brazilian spotted fever in Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101805. [PMID: 34411793 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We studied communities of small mammals and their ticks in endemic (E) and non-endemic (NE) areas for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), aiming to infer if diversity parameters of parasites and hosts could be related to occurrence and prevalence of rickettsial infection, especially Rickettsia rickettsii. We compared E and NE areas in human-modified landscapes (HMLs) and natural areas (BIO) with no report of BSF cases. Composition and equitability were important components of diversity explaining differences among areas. The marsupial Didelphis albiventris was dominant in HMLs, but not in natural areas, and this opossum was the main host for the tick Amblyomma sculptum, principal vector of R. rickettsii, especially in E areas. Communities of ticks were dominated by A. sculptum, followed by Amblyomma dubitatum in E areas. In NE areas, this dominance was inverted, with more A. dubitatum than A. sculptum infesting small mammals, but the numbers of ticks were much lower than in E areas. Composition and abundance of ticks in natural areas were very dissimilar from HMLs, with the lowest tick burdens. Didelphis albiventris in E areas presented higher seroprevalence and endpoint titres against R. rickettsii than in other areas. At least three Rickettsia species, non-pathogenic to humans, were detected in natural areas (Rickettsia bellii, Rickettsia amblyommatis and 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae'), and only one non-pathogenic species in HMLs (R. bellii). Our results suggest that higher diversity of ticks, hosts and rickettsiae could be relevant factors in buffering the effect in BSF occurrence. Particularly for D. albiventris, its importance has to be quantified in further studies considering the epidemiological scenario of BSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina de A Serpa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Hermes R Luz
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia, Programa de Pós Graduação em Biotecnologia do Renorbio, Ponto Focal Maranhão, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Bárbara C Weck
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Hector R Benatti
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Laboratórios Especializados, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Lidiani Silva Correa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diego G Ramirez
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vlamir Rocha
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago C Dias
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Araras, SP, Brazil; Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas Ribeiro Correa
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Jardel Brasil
- Unidade de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Americana, SP, Brazil
| | - José Brites-Neto
- Unidade de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Americana, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Nievas
- Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriane Suzin
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Patricia Ferreira Monticelli
- Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Estela G Moro
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Lopes
- Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Richard C Pacheco
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Daniel M Aguiar
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Ubiratan Piovezan
- Embrapa Pantanal, Corumbá, MS, Brazil; Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, Aracaju, SE, Brazil
| | - Matias P J Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Katia Maria P M B Ferraz
- Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre R Percequillo
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa N Ramos
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
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Quintero-Vélez JC, Cienfuegos-Gallet AV, Quintero LO, Úsuga AF, Cifuentes S, Solari S, Rodas JD, Diaz FJ, Rojas CA. Epidemiology of Rickettsial Infection in the Municipality of Uramita, Colombia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021; 105:1013-1023. [PMID: 34370699 PMCID: PMC8592147 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze epidemiological indicators related to seroprevalent and seroincident cases of spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) and to identify housing conditions related to tick infestation. A prospective study (2016-2018) was conducted to examine rickettsial seropositivity in humans, domestic animals, and wild mammals in the municipality of Uramita, Antioquia, Colombia, where a previous Rickettsia rickettsii outbreak was reported from 2014 to 2015. The seroprevalence and its associated factors were estimated at baseline, and the seroincidence and its risk factors for humans were estimated 20 months later. A cross-sectional analysis was performed to evaluate the housing conditions linked to tick infestation. The SFGR seroprevalence was 26.70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.79-31.37), and the factors associated with SFGR seropositivity were male sex (adjusted prevalence ratio [PRa], 1.67; 95% CI, 1.19-2.32), age (evaluated in 5-year increments) (PRa, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09), and household proximity (PRascattered vs. very near=3.87; 95% CI, 1.12-8.66). The overall seroincidence was 7.40% (95% CI, 4.71-11.06), and the factors associated with SFGR seroincident cases were the presence of wild animals (adjusted relative risk [RRa], 2.46; 95% CI, 1.06-4.72) and the presence of trees in the peri-domiciliary area (RRa, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.23-0.94). The prevalence of house tick infestation was 27.81% (95% CI, 21.93-34.80), and the factors associated with infestation were dirt floors (PRa, 5.88; 95% CI, 2.28-10.31), fiber cement roofs (PRa, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.07-2.83), and the presence of canines in peri-domiciliary or intra-domiciliary areas (PRa, 5.05; 95% CI, 3.31-7.19). Seropositivity rates for canines and opossums were 35.62% (26/73) and 100% (6/6), respectively. Identification of these factors will help to implement efficient surveillance programs in Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Quintero-Vélez
- Grupo de Investigación Ciencias Veterinarias Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
- Grupo de Investigación Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
| | | | | | - Andrés F. Úsuga
- Grupo de Investigación Ciencias Veterinarias Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
| | | | | | - Juan D. Rodas
- Grupo de Investigación Ciencias Veterinarias Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Francisco J. Diaz
- Grupo de Investigación Inmunovirología, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Carlos A. Rojas
- Grupo de Epidemiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
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13
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Martínez-Diaz HC, Forero-Becerra E, Hidalgo M, Labruna MB. Experimental infection and vector competence of Amblyomma patinoi, a member of the Amblyomma cajennense species complex, for the human pathogen Rickettsia rickettsii. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101751. [PMID: 34130146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Amblyomma patinoi ticks infected with Rickettsia rickettsii are present in Colombia, but its vector competence is unknown. Hence, we evaluated the vector competence of A. patinoi with R. rickettsii under laboratory conditions. Experimental guinea pigs and rabbits (males and females) were separated in the infected group (IG) and the control group (CG). In the IG, the filial 1 (F1) larvae (R. rickettsii-free) from Colombian A. patinoi engorged female specimens were exposed to R. rickettsii (ITU strain) by feeding on infected guinea pigs. Next, F1 nymphs and adults, and F2 larvae were allowed to feed on uninfected guinea pigs or rabbits and tested by qPCR targeting the gltA rickettsial gene. All animals used to feed the IG F1 ticks became febrile and had R. rickettsii infection (89% fatality rate) detected through serological or molecular techniques. After the F1 larvae ticks became R. rickettsii infected, subsequent IG tick stages were able to maintain the rickettsial infection by transstadial maintenance to all infested animals, indicating A. patinoi vector competence. Subsequently, almost 31% of the F1 female egg masses and only 42% of their F2 larvae were infected. Less than 50% of the infected females transmitted R. rickettsii transovarially, and only a part of the offspring were infected. This study demonstrated that A. patinoi might not be able to sustain R. rickettsii infection by transovarial transmission for successive tick generations without horizontal transmission via rickettsemic hosts. This condition might result in low R. rickettsii-infection rates of A. patinoi under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidy-C Martínez-Diaz
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Elkin Forero-Becerra
- Estancia postdoctoral - Convocatoria Colciencias 784/2017, Laboratorio de Bacteriología Especial, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Marylin Hidalgo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo-USP, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil.
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14
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Didelphis spp. opossums and their parasites in the Americas: A One Health perspective. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:4091-4111. [PMID: 33788021 PMCID: PMC8599228 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07072-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Medium sized opossums (Didelphis spp.) are among the most fascinating mammals of the Americas, playing important ecological roles (e.g., dispersal of seeds and control of insect populations) in the environment they inhabit. Nevertheless, as synanthropic animals, they are well adapted to human dwellings, occupying shelters within the cities, peripheral areas, and rural settings. These marsupials can harbor numerous pathogens, which may affect people, pets, and livestock. Among those, some protozoa (e.g., Leishmania infantum, Trypanosoma cruzi, Toxoplasma gondii), helminths (e.g., Ancylostoma caninum, Trichinella spiralis, Alaria marcianae, Paragonimus spp.) and arthropods (e.g., ticks, fleas) present substantial public health and veterinary importance, due to their capacity to cause disease in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Here, we reviewed the role played by opossums on the spreading of zoonotic parasites, vectors, and vector-borne pathogens, highlighting the risks of pathogens transmission due to the direct and indirect interaction of humans and domestic animals with Didelphis spp. in the Americas.
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Quintero V JC, Mignone J, Osorio Q L, Cienfuegos-Gallet AV, Rojas A C. Housing Conditions Linked to Tick (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Infestation in Rural Areas of Colombia: A Potential Risk for Rickettsial Transmission. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:439-449. [PMID: 32820808 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This cross-sectional study explores the different conditions related to the infestation of ticks in households and the potential risks for rickettsial transmission in Urabá, Colombia. The main outcome of interest was villagers' perception of tick infestation. The data were analyzed using a clog-log mixed regression model. Ticks were collected from infested humans to diagnose infection by spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR). In addition, a thematic analysis of qualitative data from key informants concerning knowledge about ticks was conducted. The prevalence of infestation of ticks in households was estimated at 60.99% (95% CI: 51.58-93.51). The multivariate model suggested that households with palm leaf roofs (PR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.19-2.95), canines (PR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.21-2.46), rats (PR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.45-3.08), and with the presence of opossums in areas surrounding the households (PR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.05-2.10) had a higher prevalence of tick infestation. Two samples of the tick species Amblyomma patinoi were found infected with Rickettsia amblyommatis and Candidatus Rickettsia colombianensi. A thematic analysis provided the names that local community members give to ticks, areas where ticks are common, and the individuals at risk of infestation. The presence of domestic, synanthropic, and wild animals suggests a high risk of the dissemination of ticks inside dwellings and close to them in these rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Quintero V
- Grupo de Investigación Ciencias Veterinarias Centauro, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle, Medellín, CO
| | - Javier Mignone
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Lisardo Osorio Q
- Grupo de Investigación Salud y Ambiente, Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle, Medellín, CO
| | - Astrid V Cienfuegos-Gallet
- Grupo de Investigación en Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle, Medellín, CO
| | - Carlos Rojas A
- Grupo de Epidemiología, Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle, Medellín, CO
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Ueno TEH, Cutolo AA, Martins TF, Moraes-Filho J, Azevedo SSD, Labruna MB. Rickettsial infection in equids, opossums and ticks in the municipality of Monte Mor, state of São Paulo, Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 29:e015420. [PMID: 33237125 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612020073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate rickettsial infection in equids, opossums and ticks in the municipality of Monte Mor, a place where a Brazilian spotted fever case occurred in 2005. In addition, characteristics possibly associated with seropositivity in horses were analyzed. Serum samples from horses, mules and opossums (Didelphis albiventris) were subjected to indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) against Rickettsia rickettsii. The ticks collected from the animals were identified and Amblyomma sculptum ticks from the equids were tested using PCR for Rickettsia spp. Anti-R. rickettsii antibodies were detected in 22.6% (14/62) of the horses, none of the mules and 21.7% (5/23) of the opossums. Among the variables analyzed, only age > 12 years showed a statistically significant association with seropositivity among horses. All of the 166 A. sculptum ticks tested using PCR were negative. The results showed that rickettsiae of the spotted fever group was circulating in the municipality of Monte Mor when the samples were collected and indicate a need for surveillance of Brazilian spotted fever in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Evelyn Hayama Ueno
- Polo Regional Alta Sorocabana, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios - APTA, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brasil
| | - André Antonio Cutolo
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | | | - Sérgio Santos de Azevedo
- Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande - UFCG, Patos, PB, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Ribeiro CM, Costa VM, Carvalho JLB, Mendes RG, Bastos PADS, Katagiri S, Amaku M. Brazilian spotted fever: A spatial analysis of human cases and vectors in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Zoonoses Public Health 2020; 67:629-636. [DOI: 10.1111/zph.12742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Satie Katagiri
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Barra do Garças Brazil
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18
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Mapping Brazilian spotted fever: Linking etiological agent, vectors, and hosts. Acta Trop 2020; 207:105496. [PMID: 32315604 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is a highly lethal disease in southeastern Brazil. BSF is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii and is transmitted by the bites of the tick of the genus Amblyomma. The spatial distribution of BSF risk areas is not well known in the country given the complexity of the transmission cycle. This study used the ecological niche modeling (ENM) approach to anticipate the potential distribution of the etiological agent (Rickettsia rickettsii), vectors (Amblyomma sculptum and A. dubitatum), and hosts (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Didelphis aurita, and D. marsupialis) of BSF in Brazil. We compiled occurrence records for all vectors, hosts, and BSF from our own field surveillance, online repositories, and literature. ENM identified BSF risk areas in southeastern and southern Brazil, and anticipated other dispersed suitable areas in the western, central, and northeastern coast regions of Brazil. Tick vectors and mammalian hosts were confined to these same areas; however, host species showed broader suitability in northern Brazil. All species ENMs performed significantly better than random expectations. We also tested the BSF prediction based on 253 additional independent cases identified in our surveillance; the model anticipated 251 out of 253 of these independent cases. Background similarity tests comparing the ENMs of R. rickettsii, tick vectors, and mammalian hosts were unable to reject null hypotheses of niche similarity. Finally, we observed close coincidence between independent BSF cases, and areas suitable for combinations of vectors and hosts, reflecting the ability of these model pairs to anticipate the distribution of BSF cases across Brazil.
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Bezerra-Santos MA, Nogueira BCF, Yamatogi RS, Ramos RAN, Galhardo JA, Campos AK. Ticks, fleas and endosymbionts in the ectoparasite fauna of the black-eared opossum Dipelphis aurita in Brazil. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 80:329-338. [PMID: 31927646 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00468-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ticks and fleas are essential vectors of pathogens that affect humans and animals, and among their hosts, synanthropic animals such as the black-eared opossum, Didelphis aurita, play a role in public health due to their ability to move between urban centers and forested areas in Brazil. This study aimed to assess the ectoparasite fauna of D. aurita, as well as the presence of pathogens and endosymbionts in ticks and fleas. Opossums (n = 58) captured in Tomahawk livetraps were examined for ectoparasites, and their blood sampled for further analysis. Additionally, spleen samples were collected in individuals found dead. Samples were PCR screened for Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Anaplasmataceae, and Babesia spp. Two tick species were morphologically identified as Ixodes loricatus 24/58 (41.4%) and Amblyomma sculptum 1/58 (1.7%). For fleas, Ctenocephalides felis was detected in 60.3% (35/58) of the animals, and Xenopsylla cheopis in 5.2% (3/58). PCR analysis detected Anaplasmataceae DNA in 34% (16/47) of pooled samples of C. felis, and in 66.7% (2/3) pooled samples of X. cheopis. Sequence analysis revealed Wolbachia pipientis symbiont in all positive samples. Tick, blood and spleen samples were all negative for the microorganisms assessed. These findings suggest that these arthropods circulate among wildlife and urban environments, which may implicate in their participation in the cycle of zoonotic pathogens among opossums, humans and companion animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Antônio Bezerra-Santos
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. PH Rolfs, s/n, University Campus, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil.
| | - Bárbara Cristina Félix Nogueira
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. PH Rolfs, s/n, University Campus, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Seiti Yamatogi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. PH Rolfs, s/n, University Campus, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Rafael Antonio Nascimento Ramos
- Academic Unit of Garanhuns, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Av. Bom Pastor, s/n, Boa Vista, Garanhuns, PE, 55292-270, Brazil
| | - Juliana Arena Galhardo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Müller, 2443, Jd. Ipiranga, Campo Grande, MS, 79074-460, Brazil
| | - Artur Kanadani Campos
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. PH Rolfs, s/n, University Campus, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
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Clinical and serological evaluation of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) successively exposed to an Amblyomma sculptum-derived strain of Rickettsia rickettsii. Sci Rep 2020; 10:924. [PMID: 31969607 PMCID: PMC6976648 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57607-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, is the most lethal tick-borne disease in the western hemisphere. In Brazil, Amblyomma sculptum ticks are the main vector. Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), the largest living rodents of the world (adults weighing up to 100 Kg), have been recognized as amplifying hosts of R. rickettsii for A. sculptum in BSF-endemic areas; i.e., once primarily infected, capybaras develop bacteremia for a few days, when feeding ticks acquire rickettsial infection. We conducted experimental infections of five capybaras with an A. sculptum-derived strain of R. rickettsii and performed clinical and bacteremia evaluation during primary and subsequent infections. Bacteremia was detected in all capybaras during primary infection, but not in subsequent infections. All animals seroconverted to R. rickettsii (titres range: 64-32,768), and remained seropositive throughout the study. Primary infection resulted in clinical spotted fever illness in four capybaras, of which two had a fatal outcome. Subsequent infections in seropositive capybaras resulted in no clinical signs. Capybaras developed a sustained immune response that prevented a second bacteremia. This condition may imply a high reproduction rate of capybaras in BSF-endemic areas, in order to continuously generate capybaras susceptible to bacteremia during primary infection.
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Dias Cordeiro M, de Azevedo Baêta B, Barizon Cepeda M, da Fonseca AH. Experimental infection of Monodelphis domestica with Rickettsia parkeri. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 11:101366. [PMID: 31883908 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the infection of the marsupial Monodelphis domestica (the gray short-tailed opossum) by Rickettsia parkeri and its role as an amplifier of the bacterium for Amblyomma ticks. Ten M. domestica males were inoculated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and 106 Vero cells infected with R. parkeri. In seven animals, inoculation was intramuscular, and in three intraperitoneal. One male (control) received 1 ml of the same vehicle used for inoculation intraperitoneally. The three animals inoculated intraperitoneally were infested with uninfected A. sculptum larvae and nymphs between the 2nd and 9th day post-infection (DPI). Parasitemia was monitored from the 3rd to 9th DPI by polymerase chain reaction, using primers for 17 kDa and ompA. The animals were also clinically evaluated. Of the animals infected intramuscularly, only one was blood-positive by the 5th DPI. The three animals infected intraperitoneally were blood-positive on the 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 9th DPI. Of the ten pools of recovered engorged ticks, six had positive bands. The kidney, liver, heart, and spleen of an intramuscularly infected animal were also positive. The rectal temperature of the animals tested increased only in the first three DPI. The animals inoculated intraperitoneally showed prostration, bristled hair, and weight loss. The study found that R. parkeri was capable of infecting M. domestica, which developed rickettsemia and caused infection in xenodiagnostic ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Dias Cordeiro
- Departamento De Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural Do Rio De Janeiro - UFRRJ, BR465, Km 07, 23890-000 Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Bruna de Azevedo Baêta
- Curso De Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Severino Sombra Av. Expedicionário Oswaldo De Almeida Ramos, Nº 280, Centro, 27700-000, Vassouras, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Marcio Barizon Cepeda
- Departamento De Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural Do Rio De Janeiro - UFRRJ, BR465, Km 07, 23890-000 Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca
- Departamento De Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural Do Rio De Janeiro - UFRRJ, BR465, Km 07, 23890-000 Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
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Moraes-Filho J, Costa FB, Gerardi M, Soares HS, Labruna MB. Rickettsia rickettsii Co-feeding Transmission among Amblyomma aureolatum Ticks. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 24:2041-2048. [PMID: 30334709 PMCID: PMC6200015 DOI: 10.3201/eid2411.180451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Amblyomma aureolatum ticks are vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Brazil. Maintenance of R. rickettsii in nature depends on horizontal transmission along tick generations. Although such transmission is known to occur when uninfected and infected ticks feed simultaneously on susceptible animals (co-feeding systemic transmission), we investigated co-feeding nonsystemic transmission, which was based on R. rickettsii-infected and -uninfected A. aureolatum ticks feeding simultaneously on guinea pigs immune to R. rickettsii. Our acquisition and transmission infestations demonstrated that horizontal transmission of R. rickettsii by co-feeding ticks on immune hosts with no systemic infection did not occur when uninfected larvae fed distantly from infected nymphs but did occur in a few cases when uninfected larvae fed side-by-side with infected nymphs, suggesting that they shared the same feeding site. The co-feeding nonsystemic transmission type might have no epidemiologic importance for Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
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Gerardi M, Ramírez-Hernández A, Binder LC, Krawczak FS, Gregori F, Labruna MB. Comparative Susceptibility of Different Populations of Amblyomma sculptum to Rickettsia rickettsii. Front Physiol 2019; 10:653. [PMID: 31191350 PMCID: PMC6546895 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii is the etiological agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), which is transmitted in Brazil mainly by the tick Amblyomma sculptum. Herein, larvae and nymphs of six populations of A. sculptum were exposed to R. rickettsii by feeding on needle-inoculated guinea pigs, and thereafter reared on uninfected guinea pigs or rabbits. Two tick populations were exposed to autochthone R. rickettsii strains, whereas four tick populations were exposed to non-autochthone strains. The six geographically different populations of A. sculptum showed different susceptibilities to R. rickettsii, higher among the two tick populations that were exposed to their autochthone R. rickettsii strain. In addition, higher rates of transovarial transmission of R. rickettsii and vector competence success also included the two tick populations that were exposed to autochthone R. rickettsii strains. These results indicate that the susceptibility of A. sculptum to R. rickettsii varies among different tick populations, with a clear bias for higher susceptibility to an autochthone R. rickettsii strain that has already coevolved with a tick population for some time. Our results demonstrated that the R. rickettsii infection induces higher mortality of engorged larvae and nymphs, and tend to reduce the reproductive fitness of engorged females. All together, these results might explain the low R. rickettsii-infection rates of A. sculptum under natural conditions (usually <1%), and indicate that an A. sculptum population should not be able to sustain a R. rickettsii infection for successive tick generations without the creation of new cohorts of infected ticks via horizontal transmission on vertebrate rickettsemic hosts (amplifying hosts). Finally, despite of the ubiquitous distribution of A. sculptum in southeastern and central-western Brazil, most of the populations of this tick species are devoid of R. rickettsii infection. This scenario might be related to two major factors: (i) insufficient numbers of susceptible amplifying hosts; and (ii) lower susceptibilities of many tick populations. While the first factor has been demonstrated by mathematical models in previous studies, the second is highlighted by the results observed in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monize Gerardi
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Ramírez-Hernández
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lina C Binder
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe S Krawczak
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fábio Gregori
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Martins LA, Malossi CD, Galletti MFBDM, Ribeiro JM, Fujita A, Esteves E, Costa FB, Labruna MB, Daffre S, Fogaça AC. The Transcriptome of the Salivary Glands of Amblyomma aureolatum Reveals the Antimicrobial Peptide Microplusin as an Important Factor for the Tick Protection Against Rickettsia rickettsii Infection. Front Physiol 2019; 10:529. [PMID: 31130872 PMCID: PMC6509419 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The salivary glands (SG) of ixodid ticks play a pivotal role in blood feeding, producing both the cement and the saliva. The cement is an adhesive substance that helps the attachment of the tick to the host skin, while the saliva contains a rich mixture of antihemostatic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory substances that allow ticks to properly acquire the blood meal. The tick saliva is also a vehicle used by several pathogens to be transmitted to the vertebrate host, including various bacterial species from the genus Rickettsia. Rickettsia rickettsii is a tick-borne obligate intracellular bacterium that causes the severe Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In Brazil, the dog yellow tick Amblyomma aureolatum is a vector of R. rickettsii. In the current study, the effects of an experimental infection with R. rickettsii on the global gene expression profile of A. aureolatum SG was determined by next-generation RNA sequencing. A total of 260 coding sequences (CDSs) were modulated by infection, among which 161 were upregulated and 99 were downregulated. Regarding CDSs in the immunity category, we highlight one sequence encoding one microplusin-like antimicrobial peptide (AMP) (Ambaur-69859). AMPs are important effectors of the arthropod immune system, which lack the adaptive response of the immune system of vertebrates. The expression of microplusin was confirmed to be significantly upregulated in the SG as well as in the midgut (MG) of infected A. aureolatum by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction preceded by reverse transcription. The knockdown of the microplusin expression by RNA interference caused a significant increase in the prevalence of infected ticks in relation to the control. In addition, a higher rickettsial load of one order of magnitude was recorded in both the MG and SG of ticks that received microplusin-specific dsRNA. No effect of microplusin knockdown was observed on the R. rickettsii transmission to rabbits. Moreover, no significant differences in tick engorgement and oviposition were recorded in ticks that received dsMicroplusin, demonstrating that microplusin knockdown has no effect on tick fitness. Further studies must be performed to determine the mechanism of action of this AMP against R. rickettsii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa A Martins
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila D Malossi
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria F B de M Galletti
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - André Fujita
- Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Esteves
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andréa C Fogaça
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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25
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Barbieri AR, Szabó MP, Costa FB, Martins TF, Soares HS, Pascoli G, Torga K, Saraiva DG, Ramos VN, Osava C, Gerardi M, Dias RA, Moraes EA, Ferreira F, Castro MB, Labruna MB. Species richness and seasonal dynamics of ticks with notes on rickettsial infection in a Natural Park of the Cerrado biome in Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:442-453. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Guimarães A, Raimundo JM, Silva ATD, Carpintero FM, Pires JR, Benevenute JL, Machado RZ, André MR, Baldani CD. Detection of a putative novel genotype of Ehrlichia sp. from opossums (Didelphis aurita) from Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 28:140-144. [PMID: 30427523 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-296120180068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Erlichiosis affects humans and animals worldwide. Its distribution and prevalence depends on the presence of tick vectors and hosts in one geographic area. The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. in opossums (Didelphis sp.) from the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeast Brazil. Blood samples from 37 animals were tested for these two pathogens using molecular methods. One animal (2.7%) was positive for Ehrlichia sp. by 16S rRNA-based nested PCR. In a phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene using the maximum likelihood method and the GTRGAMMA+I evolutionary model, we detected a novel Ehrlichia sp. genotype closely related to genotypes of E. canis previously reported in dogs from Brazil. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first molecular detection of Ehrlichia sp. in opossums from this State in the southeastern region of the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andresa Guimarães
- Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Juliana Macedo Raimundo
- Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Aline Tonussi da Silva
- Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Fernanda Modesto Carpintero
- Centro de Recuperação de Animais Silvestres - CRAS, Universidade Estácio de Sá - UNESA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Jeferson Rocha Pires
- Centro de Recuperação de Animais Silvestres - CRAS, Universidade Estácio de Sá - UNESA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Jyan Lucas Benevenute
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias - FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias - FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias - FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Cristiane Divan Baldani
- Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
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27
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Lopes MG, Muñoz-Leal S, de Lima JTR, Fournier GFDSR, Acosta IDCL, Martins TF, Ramirez DG, Gennari SM, Labruna MB. Ticks, rickettsial and erlichial infection in small mammals from Atlantic forest remnants in northeastern Brazil. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 7:380-385. [PMID: 30370217 PMCID: PMC6199183 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated infection by Rickettsia spp. and Ehrlichia spp in small mammals and their ticks from two Atlantic forest conservation areas in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil. A total of 39 small mammals were captured during 2012–2013, encompassing 33 marsupials (29 Didelphis albiventris, four Monodelphis domestica), three Cricetidae rodents (two Necromys lasiurus, one Rattus rattus), one Caviomorpha rodent (Thrichomys apereoides) and two armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus). The ticks Amblyomma auricularium, Ixodes loricatus, and Ornithodoros mimon were collected from D. albiventris, whereas only A. auricularium was collected from armadillos. Through immunofluorescence assay with Rickettsia spp. antigens, 6/28 (21%) D. albiventris and the single R. rattus specimen reacted to at least one rickettsial antigen, with highest seroprevalence and endpoint titers to Rickettsia amblyommatis. A total of 150 ticks (126 A. auricularium, nine I. loricatus, 15 O. mimon) was tested for rickettsial infection by PCR, which detected only R. amblyommatis in most of the A. auricularium ticks. Lung and spleen samples were collected from small mammals (two N. lasiurus, six D. albiventris, three M. domestica, one T. apereoides, one R. rattus) and were tested by PCR for Anaplasmataceae agents. The spleen from one D. albiventris contained a new ehrlichial agent, here named as Ehrlichia sp. strain Natal. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from the dsb gene of Ehrlichia spp. indicates that this novel agent is potentially a new species. Future studies should monitor the possible role of rickettsial and/or ehrlichial microorganisms as agents of emerging diseases in these degraded areas of Atlantic forest, just as has occurred with other agents in degraded areas of this biome in southeastern Brazil. Amblyomma auricularium, Ixodes loricatus and Ornithodoros mimon ticks were found. Infection by Rickettsia amblyommatis was detected in A. auricularium ticks. Wild small mammals presented serological evidence of R. amblyommatis infection. A potentially novel Ehrlichia species infected the opossum Didelphis albiventris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos G Lopes
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Julia T Ribeiro de Lima
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gislene Fatima da S Rocha Fournier
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Igor da Cunha L Acosta
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Diego G Ramirez
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Solange M Gennari
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Mestrado em Medicina e Bem estar animal, Universidade Santo Amaro, Av. Prof. Eneas de Siqueira Neto, 340, São Paulo, 04529-300, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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28
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Lamattina D, Costa SA, Arrabal JP, Venzal JM, Guglielmone AA, Nava S. Factors associated with hard tick (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitism in medium-sized mammals in the Atlantic Rainforest region of Argentina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1451-1458. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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29
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Lee JK, Stokes JV, Moraru GM, Harper AB, Smith CL, Wills RW, Varela-Stokes AS. Transmission of Amblyomma maculatum-Associated Rickettsia spp. During Cofeeding on Cattle. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018; 18:511-518. [PMID: 30063189 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyomma maculatum is the primary vector for the spotted fever group rickettsiae, Rickettsia parkeri, a known pathogen, and "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae," currently considered nonpathogenic. Spotted fever group rickettsiae are typically endothelial cell associated and rarely circulate in the blood. Horizontal transmission to naïve ticks through blood feeding from an infected host is likely rare. Cofeeding provides an opportunity for rickettsial transmission to naïve ticks in the absence of circulating rickettsiae. We evaluated R. parkeri transmission through cofeeding between A. maculatum adults and nymphs on beef calves. Six calves in each of two trials were infested with A. maculatum that had been capillary fed R. parkeri. Four days later, calves each received recipient A. maculatum that were either capillary fed "Ca. R. andeanae" or not capillary fed before infestation. Trials differed by whether we included a barrier to minimize adjacent feeding between recipient and donor ticks. After cofeeding, we detected R. parkeri in 27% of "Ca. R. andeanae"-free recipient ticks, whereas R. parkeri was not detected in any recipient ticks that were capillary fed "Ca. R. andeanae." Rickettsia parkeri transmission efficiency to naïve ticks was greater when ticks freely cofed in proximity. No rickettsial DNA was detected in calf blood. Results confirm cofeeding as a method of horizontal transmission of R. parkeri in the absence of host rickettsemia and suggest no evidence of transmission by cofeeding when recipient ticks are first exposed to "Ca. R. andeanae" through capillary feeding. While cofeeding may provide an opportunity for maintaining the pathogen, R. parkeri, the mechanisms driving any potential effect of "Ca. R. andeanae" on R. parkeri transmission are unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Keun Lee
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - John V Stokes
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Gail M Moraru
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Amanda B Harper
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Catherine L Smith
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Robert W Wills
- 2 Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Andrea S Varela-Stokes
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
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30
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Luz HR, Costa Neto SFD, Weksler M, Gentile R, Faccini JLH. Ticks parasitizing wild mammals in Atlantic Forest areas in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 27:409-414. [PMID: 29846459 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-296120180027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mammals captured in the Serra dos Órgãos National Park (PARNASO) and the Pedra Branca State Park (PBSP) between 2012 and 2015 were examined for the presence of ticks. In total, 140 mammals were examined, and 34 specimens were found to be parasitized by ticks. Didelphis aurita, Akodon montensis and Oligoryzomys nigripes were the species most parasitized. From these specimens, 146 ticks were collected, including 10 larvae. The ticks belonged to eight species: one in the genus Ixodes and seven in the genus Amblyomma. This study reports new associations of ticks and wild mammals in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Ciência Animal, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Sócrates Fraga da Costa Neto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.,Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Weksler
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Rosana Gentile
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - João Luiz Horacio Faccini
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
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31
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Tomassone L, Portillo A, Nováková M, de Sousa R, Oteo JA. Neglected aspects of tick-borne rickettsioses. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:263. [PMID: 29690900 PMCID: PMC5937841 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2856-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsioses are among the oldest known infectious diseases. In spite of this, and of the extensive research carried out, many aspects of the biology and epidemiology of tick-borne rickettsiae are far from being completely understood. Their association with arthropod vectors, the importance of vertebrates as reservoirs, the rarity of clinical signs in animals, or the interactions of pathogenic species with rickettsial endosymbionts and with the host intracellular environment, are only some examples. Moreover, new rickettsiae are continuously being discovered. In this review, we focus on the ‘neglected’ aspects of tick-borne rickettsioses and on the gaps in knowledge, which could help to explain why these infections are still emerging and re-emerging threats worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tomassone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco (Torino), Italy.
| | - Aránzazu Portillo
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, C/ Piqueras 98, 26006, Logroño, Spain
| | - Markéta Nováková
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rita de Sousa
- National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. da Liberdade 5, 2965-575, Aguas de Moura, Portugal
| | - José Antonio Oteo
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, C/ Piqueras 98, 26006, Logroño, Spain
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32
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Díaz-Delgado J, Coimbra AAC, Dos Santos-Cirqueira C, Sanches TC, Guerra JM, de Oliveira AS, Di Loretto C, Zwarg T, Ressio R, Rivas L, Sansone M, Nagamori FO, Kanamura C, Gonçalves PS, Fernandes NCCA, Groch KR, Catão-Dias JL. Parotid Salivary Gland Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma in a Big-eared Opossum (Didelphis aurita). J Comp Pathol 2018; 159:21-25. [PMID: 29599001 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The opossum (family Didelphidae) is a marsupial endemic to the Americas. Apart from the South American short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) and the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), there is considerable lack of knowledge about the health and diseases of most opossum species. Among these, the big-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita) is found in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Natural and experimental studies have shown this species to be susceptible to infectious agents with zoonotic potential and the animals may play a role in transmission of such agents. However, neoplasia appears to be uncommon in this species. We describe the gross, microscopical and immunohistochemical features of a parotid salivary gland basal cell adenocarcinoma in a free-living big-eared opossum. This case represents the first report of salivary gland neoplasia in opossums.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Díaz-Delgado
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - A A C Coimbra
- Divisão Técnica de Medicina Veterinária e Manejo da Fauna Silvestre, IV Portão 7A, Av. Quarto Centenário, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Dos Santos-Cirqueira
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - T C Sanches
- Divisão Técnica de Medicina Veterinária e Manejo da Fauna Silvestre, IV Portão 7A, Av. Quarto Centenário, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J M Guerra
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A S de Oliveira
- Divisão Técnica de Medicina Veterinária e Manejo da Fauna Silvestre, IV Portão 7A, Av. Quarto Centenário, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Di Loretto
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - T Zwarg
- Divisão Técnica de Medicina Veterinária e Manejo da Fauna Silvestre, IV Portão 7A, Av. Quarto Centenário, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R Ressio
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - L Rivas
- Divisão Técnica de Medicina Veterinária e Manejo da Fauna Silvestre, IV Portão 7A, Av. Quarto Centenário, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M Sansone
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - F O Nagamori
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Kanamura
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - P S Gonçalves
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - N C C A Fernandes
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Centro de Patologia, Brasil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 - 7 Andar, Sala 706, Pacaembú, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - K R Groch
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J L Catão-Dias
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Tick-borne infections in dogs and horses in the state of Espírito Santo, Southeast Brazil. Vet Parasitol 2017; 249:43-48. [PMID: 29279085 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This work aims to identify and quantify the percentage of Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. positive pet dogs, and to identify ticks collected on these animals in the state of Espírito Santo, in the Southeast region of Brazil. The study included 378 dogs, 226 females and 152 males, of various breeds and ages (mean age of 4.1 years). All animals were examined for ticks, and whole blood was collected and processed by conventional PCR protocols for Babesia spp., Anaplasmataceae, Hepatozoon spp. and by real-time PCR for Ehrlichia canis. Of the 378 dogs examined, 157 (41.53%) had ticks at the time of the study, which were identified as R. sanguineus s.l. in 154 animals (98.10%), Amblyomma ovale in one animal (0.63%), and Amblyomma sculptum in 2 animals (1.27%). In the PCR for Babesia spp., 5 animals (1.32%) were positive, producing DNA sequences 100% identical to Babesia vogeli. For Anaplasmataceae, 34 animals (9%) were positive, 10 of which generated DNA sequences 100% similar to Ehrlichia canis. The other 24 samples generated fragments 100% identical to Anaplasma platys. In the PCR for Hepatozoon spp, 39 animals (10.31%) were positive, producing sequences 100% identical to Hepatozoon canis. Finally, in the real-time PCR specific for E. canis, 28 animals (7.40%) were positive. Coinfection with 2 or 3 agents was observed in 20 animals (5.29%). Of the 378 dogs sampled, 312 were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for E. canis and five species of Rickettsia (R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. amblyommatis, R. rhipicephali and R. bellii). Among them, 71 dogs (22.75%) had a positive reaction for E. canis and 16 dogs (5.13%) had antibody titers higher than 64 to at least one Rickettsia species, 5 of them (1.60%) to R. rickettsii. Samples of blood were collected from 10 equines in the regions where dogs were found with positive serology for any one of the Rickettsia sp. tested. In the municipality of Vila Velha, two equines were positive for R. bellii with inverse titers of 64 and 128. These results indicate that tick-transmitted agents, such as E. canis, A. platys, B. vogeli, H. canis, and several spotted fever group Rickettsia are circulating in the canine population of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.
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Quintero V. JC, Paternina T. LE, Uribe Y. A, Muskus C, Hidalgo. M, Gil. J, Cienfuegos G. AV, Osorio Q. L, Rojas A. C. Eco-epidemiological analysis of rickettsial seropositivity in rural areas of Colombia: A multilevel approach. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005892. [PMID: 28922404 PMCID: PMC5619838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsiosis is a re-emergent infectious disease without epidemiological surveillance in Colombia. This disease is generally undiagnosed and several deadly outbreaks have been reported in the country in the last decade. The aim of this study is to analyze the eco-epidemiological aspects of rickettsial seropositivity in rural areas of Colombia where outbreaks of the disease were previously reported. A cross-sectional study, which included 597 people living in 246 households from nine hamlets in two municipalities of Colombia, was conducted from November 2015 to January 2016. The survey was conducted to collect sociodemographic and household characteristics (exposure) data. Blood samples were collected to determine the rickettsial seropositivity in humans, horses and dogs (IFA, cut-off = 1/128). In addition, infections by rickettsiae were detected in ticks from humans and animals by real-time PCR targeting gltA and ompA genes. Data was analyzed by weighted multilevel clog-log regression model using three levels (person, household and hamlets) and rickettsial seropositivity in humans was the main outcome. Overall prevalence of rickettsial seropositivity in humans was 25.62% (95%CI 22.11–29.12). Age in years (PR = 1.01 95%CI 1.01–1.02) and male sex (PR = 1.65 95%CI 1.43–1.90) were risk markers for rickettsial seropositivity. Working outdoors (PR = 1.20 95%CI 1.02–1.41), deforestation and forest fragmentation for agriculture use (PR = 1.75 95%CI 1.51–2.02), opossum in peridomiciliary area (PR = 1.56 95%CI 1.37–1.79) and a high proportion of seropositive domestic animals in the home (PR20-40% vs <20% = 2.28 95%CI 1.59–3.23 and PR>40% vs <20% = 3.14 95%CI 2.43–4.04) were associated with rickettsial seropositivity in humans. This study showed the presence of Rickettsia antibodies in human populations and domestic animals. In addition, different species of rickettsiae were detected in ticks collected from humans and animals. Our results highlighted the role of domestic animals as sentinels of rickettsial infection to identify areas at risk of transmission, and the importance of preventive measures aimed at curtailing deforestation and the fragmentation of forests as a way of reducing the risk of transmission of emergent and re-emergent pathogens. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is one of the main diseases transmitted by tick bites in Colombia. Studies examining rickettsial seropositivity in humans, potential vectors and amplifying hosts in regions where previous outbreaks occurred are necessary to highlight this disease in the differential diagnosis of febrile syndromes and to implement epidemiological surveillance programs. This study reveals several factors associated with rickettsial seropositivity, including working outdoors, practices related to deforestation and forest fragmentation, and the potential contact between humans and wild animals, such as opossums, that could be involved in the transmission cycle. In addition, it reveals the importance of domestic animals as sentinels of infection as well as the tick species acting as potential vectors of rickettsiae in human and domestic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Quintero V.
- Grupo de Ciencias Veterinarias - Centauro, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Alexander Uribe Y.
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales -PECET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Carlos Muskus
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales -PECET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Marylin Hidalgo.
- Grupo de Investigación de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Juliana Gil.
- Grupo de Investigación de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Astrid V. Cienfuegos G.
- Grupo de Investigación en Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Lisardo Osorio Q.
- Grupo de Investigación Salud y Ambiente, Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Carlos Rojas A.
- Grupo de Epidemiología, Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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Londoño AF, Acevedo-Gutiérrez LY, Marín D, Contreras V, Díaz FJ, Valbuena G, Labruna MB, Hidalgo M, Arboleda M, Mattar S, Solari S, Rodas JD. Wild and domestic animals likely involved in rickettsial endemic zones of Northwestern Colombia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:887-894. [PMID: 28774495 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Between 2006 and 2008, three outbreaks of human rickettsiosis occurred in Northwestern Colombia (municipalities of Necoclí, Los Córdobas and Turbo), with case fatality rates between 27% and 54%. The aim of this study was to determine previous exposure of wild and domestic animals to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae through serological tests, to detect rickettsial evidence in their ectoparasites, and to analyze their possible role in the epidemiology of rickettsial diseases in this zone of the country. A cross-sectional association study was performed from 2010 to 2011. Blood and ectoparasite samples were collected from domestic animals and small mammals. A statistically significant association (p<0.05) between seropositive animals and the study zones was observed. A total of 2937 ticks, 672 fleas and 74 lice were collected and tested in pools by PCR. The minimum infection rate (MIR) of the positive pools was 5% in ticks, 4% in fleas, and 0% in lice. Phylogenetic analyses showed circulation of three 4.Rickettsia species: R. felis in fleas, and R. bellii and Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest, both in Amblyomma ovale ticks. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the occurrence of SFG rickettsiae in domestic, synanthropic and wild animals, and suggests the use of equines and canines as good sentinels of infection, in the study zone. We speculate that a transmission cycle exist involving rodents in the areas where these outbreaks have occurred. Tomes' spiny rats (Proechimys semispinosus) and common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) could be good candidates as amplifier hosts for SFG rickettsiae in enzootic/endemic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés F Londoño
- Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias, Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia U de A; Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Leidy Y Acevedo-Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias, Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia U de A; Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Diana Marín
- Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Verónica Contreras
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | - Francisco J Díaz
- Grupo Inmunovirología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Gustavo Valbuena
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marylin Hidalgo
- Departamento de Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Margarita Arboleda
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, ICMT - CES, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Salim Mattar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | - Sergio Solari
- Instituto de Biología, Grupo de Mastozoología, Colección Teriológica de la Universidad de Antioquia, CTUA, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan D Rodas
- Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias, Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia U de A; Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia.
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Bermúdez SE, Gottdenker N, Krishnvajhala A, Fox A, Wilder HK, González K, Smith D, López M, Perea M, Rigg C, Montilla S, Calzada JE, Saldaña A, Caballero CM, Lopez JE. Synanthropic Mammals as Potential Hosts of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Panama. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169047. [PMID: 28060928 PMCID: PMC5218486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Synanthropic wild mammals can be important hosts for many vector-borne zoonotic pathogens. The aim of this study was determine the exposure of synanthropic mammals to two types of tick-borne pathogens in Panama, spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) and Borrelia relapsing fever (RF) spirochetes. One hundred and thirty-one wild mammals were evaluated, including two gray foxes, two crab-eating foxes (from zoos), four coyotes, 62 opossum and 63 spiny rats captured close to rural towns. To evaluate exposure to SFGR, serum samples from the animals were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using Rickettsia rickettsii and Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii antigen. Immunoblotting was performed using Borrelia turicatae protein lysates and rGlpQ, to assess infection caused by RF spirochetes. One coyote (25%) and 27 (43%) opossums showed seroreactivity to SFGR. Of these opossums, 11 were seroreactive to C. R. amblyommii. Serological reactivity was not detected to B. turicatae in mammal samples. These findings may reflect a potential role of both mammals in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens in Panama.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio E. Bermúdez
- Departamento de Investigación en Entomología Médica, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | - Nicole Gottdenker
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Aparna Krishnvajhala
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Amy Fox
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hannah K. Wilder
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kadir González
- Departamento de Investigación en Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | | | | | - Milixa Perea
- Departamento de Investigación en Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | - Chystrie Rigg
- Departamento de Investigación en Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | - Santiago Montilla
- Departamento de Investigación en Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | - José E. Calzada
- Departamento de Investigación en Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | - Azael Saldaña
- Departamento de Investigación en Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | | | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Prata JAC, Souza CED, Angerami RN, Barbosa TMCDM, Santos FCPD, Colombo S, Guercio VMFD, Donalísio MR. Antibodies for Rickettsia spp. in patients with negative serology for dengue virus, leptospirosis, and meningococcal disease in municipalities of São Paulo State, Brazil. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2016; 49:567-571. [PMID: 27812650 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0023-2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Brazilian spotted fever is an infectious disease with a high mortality rate if not treated early. Differential diagnosis is difficult, as the first clinical signs are non-specific and can be confused with other diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate evidence of infection with Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri in negative sera samples, collected in 2014, from patients with suspected leptospirosis, dengue fever, and meningococcal disease in Atibaia and Bragança Paulista municipalities of the State of São Paulo. METHODS The samples stored at the Institute Adolfo Lutz in Campinas were tested using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) with IgG and IgM against R. rickettsii and R. parkeri. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was performed for the sera samples of patients who died (n = 3), those with initial suspicion of meningococcal disease (n = 6), and those with positive IFA results. RESULTS Of 258 samples from Bragança Paulista, 4 (1.6%) were positive, with IgG titers of 1:64 and 1:128 against R. rickettsii and R. parkeri, respectively. Of 155 samples from Atibaia, 2 (1.3%) were positive, with IgG titers of 1:64 and 1:128 against R. rickettsii and R. parkeri, respectively. No sample showed positive PCR results. CONCLUSIONS This serological investigation suggests there is evidence of exposure to Rickettsia spp. in residents of areas that have environmental conditions favorable to the spread of bacteria, in which Brazilian spotted fever incidence was not previously confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Anacleto Cabral Prata
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu Saúde Coletiva-Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Rodrigo Nogueira Angerami
- Departamento de Doenças de Notificação Compulsória, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Silvia Colombo
- Laboratório de Riquétsias, Centro de Virologia, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Rita Donalísio
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu Saúde Coletiva-Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Tarragona EL, Soares JF, Costa FB, Labruna MB, Nava S. Vectorial competence of Amblyomma tonelliae to transmit Rickettsia rickettsii. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 30:410-415. [PMID: 27677425 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to test the vectorial competence of Amblyomma tonelliae (Ixodida: Ixodidae) to transmit Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). All parasitic stages of A. tonelliae were exposed to R. rickettsii by allowing each stage to feed on hosts inoculated with this pathogen. Thereafter, ticks were fed on uninfected hosts. All stages of A. tonelliae were able to acquire the R. rickettsii infection and maintain it by transstadial and transovarial transmission. When infected ticks fed on uninfected hosts, the hosts developed rickettsiosis disease. This study demonstrates the vectorial competence of A. tonelliae to transmit R. rickettsii. These results have epidemiological relevance because A. tonelliae is one of the tick species most likely to infest humans in Argentina, including in areas in which RMSF has been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Tarragona
- Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Argentina.
- Departamento de Parasitología, Extensión Salud en Animales Silvestres, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - J F Soares
- Departamento Parasitologia e Doenças Parasitárias Veterinárias, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - F B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal (VPS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal (VPS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S Nava
- Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Argentina
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Blanco CM, Teixeira BR, da Silva AG, de Oliveira RC, Strecht L, Ogrzewalska M, de Lemos ERS. Microorganisms in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected on marsupials and rodents from Santa Catarina, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul states, Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 8:90-98. [PMID: 27769655 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Information about tick fauna and monitoring of pathogen prevalences in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in various habitat types can enhance knowledge about the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens in Brazil. This work shows the results of a study of tick parasitism of wild rodents and marsupials collected in seven localities in the southern part of Brazil, within Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. A total of 61 ticks were collected from small mammals, and after identification to the species level, the ticks were individually tested for the presence of bacteria of the genera Rickettsia, Borrelia, family Anaplasmataceae, and protozoa of the genus Babesia. The following species of ticks were found: Amblyomma ovale Koch, 1844, Amblyomma dubitatum Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma fuscum Neumann, 1907, Ixodes aragaoi Fonseca, 1935, Ixodes fuscipes Koch, 1844, Ixodes loricatus Neumann, 1899, and Ixodes schulzei Aragão and Fonseca, 1951. Among tested ticks, no DNA of Borrelia, Babesia or Anaplasmataceae was detected. Two nymphs of A. ovale were found infected with Rickettsia bellii and four nymphs of I. aragaoi with Rickettsia sp., genetically close to Rickettsia monacensis, Rickettsia tamurae and the endosymbiont Rickettsia spp., previously found in various Ixodidae. In one nymph of A. fuscum, DNA of a novel Hepatozoon sp. was found. Additionally we provide novel tick-host associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Moreira Blanco
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Bernardo Rodrigues Teixeira
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alexandro Guterres da Silva
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Renata Carvalho de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Liana Strecht
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maria Ogrzewalska
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Elba Regina S de Lemos
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Ueno TEH, Costa FB, Moraes-Filho J, Agostinho WC, Fernandes WR, Labruna MB. Experimental infection of horses with Rickettsia rickettsii. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:499. [PMID: 27624315 PMCID: PMC5022194 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1784-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rickettsia rickettsii is vectored by ticks, and some vertebrate hosts can be sources of infection to ticks during bacteremic periods. In Brazil, the main vector for R. rickettsii is the tick Amblyomma sculptum, a member of the A. cajennense complex. Horses, in turn, are one of the major hosts for A. sculptum. In this study, horses experimentally infected with R. rickettsii were assessed for clinical changes and their capability to transmit the infection to A. sculptum ticks. Methods Four horses were infected with R. rickettsii through either intraperitoneal injection or infestation with R. rickettsii-infected A. sculptum ticks. Simultaneously, the animals were infested with non-infected A. sculptum ticks. The horses were monitored for 30 days by clinical examination, hematological and biochemical tests, real-time PCR of blood for the detection of Rickettsia, and inoculation of blood in guinea pigs. IgG antibody titers were followed until the horses have shown seronegativity or until the end of the experiment. Uninfected ticks that fed on horses were subjected to real-time PCR and/or were fed on susceptible rabbits. Results The horses showed no clinical, hematological or blood biochemical alterations, and bacteremia was not detected by real-time PCR or by inoculation of horse blood into guinea pigs. Anti-R. rickettsii antibodies were detected in horses from 10 days to 2 years after infection. Uninfected ticks, after feeding on infected horses, showed 2.1 % positivity in real-time PCR, but failed to transmit the infection to rabbits at a next feeding stage. Conclusions Rickettsia rickettsii-infected horses did not manifest illness and are not competent amplifier hosts of R. rickettsii for A. sculptum ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jonas Moraes-Filho
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Melo ALT, Aguiar DMD, Spolidorio MG, Yoshinari NH, Matushima ER, Labruna MB, Horta MC. Serological evidence of exposure to tick-borne agents in opossums (Didelphis spp.) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2016; 25:348-352. [DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612016028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract This work involved a serological investigation of tick-borne pathogens in opossums in eight municipalities of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Serum samples from 109 opossums (91 Didelphis aurita and 18 Didelphis albiventris) were tested to detect antibodies to Rickettsia rickettsii (Taiaçu strain, 1:64 cut-off) and Ehrlichia canis (São Paulo strain, 1:40 cut-off), by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA); and against Borrelia burgdorferi (strain G39/40) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The presence of antibodies to anti-R. rickettsii, anti-E. canis and anti-B. burgdorferi was detected in 32 (29.35%), 16 (14.67%) and 30 (27.52%) opossums, respectively. Opossum endpoint titers ranged from 64 to 1,024 for R. rickettsii, from 40 to 160 for E. canis, and from 400 to >51,200 for B. burgdorferi. These serological results suggest that opossums have been exposed to Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and B. burgdorferi-related agents in the state of São Paulo. Our study underscores the need for further research about these agents in this study area, in view of the occurrence of Spotted Fever and Baggio-Yoshinari Syndrome disease in humans in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
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High Seroprevalence for Rickettsia rickettsii in Equines Suggests Risk of Human Infection in Silent Areas for the Brazilian Spotted Fever. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153303. [PMID: 27064788 PMCID: PMC4827800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Equines play a role in the epidemiology of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) since they are a primary host for the tick Amblyomma sculptum. We studied the seroprevalence for three species of Rickettsia in equines in four endemic (with human cases) and in four non-endemic areas (no human cases) in the Piracicaba River Basin, São Paulo, Brazil. A serological survey of 504 equines was performed: around 63 animals were sampled in each area and tested through indirect immunofluorescence assay for R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, and R. bellii in 2012–2013. Blood samples were seropositive for 183 equines (36.3%) in which 73 (39.9%) were from non-endemic areas. In the studied sites equines were highly exposed to Rickettsia infection ranging from 6.1% to 54.7%, with Geometric Mean Titers greater in endemic area (p = 0.012). Results suggest that Rickettsia may be more widespread than the surveillance of BSF has detected. These results highlight the need to include data on the seroprevalence of sentinel animals to improve human diagnoses and surveillance in areas with no reported human cases.
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Panti-May JA, Torres-Castro M, Hernández-Betancourt S, Dzul-Rosado K, Zavala-Castro J, López-Avila K, Tello-Martín R. Detection of Rickettsia felis in Wild Mammals from Three Municipalities in Yucatan, Mexico. ECOHEALTH 2015; 12:523-527. [PMID: 25537628 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-1003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to provide information of the occurrence of Rickettsia felis in wild mammals from three municipalities in Yucatan, Mexico. The reactivity of rodent serum to Rickettsia antigens was detected in 80.9% (17 of 21) samples using immunofluorescence assay. Polymerase chain reaction identified rickettsial DNA in spleens of 43.5% (10 of 23) rodents and 57.1% (4 of 7) opossums. The identification of the rickettsial DNA was confirmed as R. felis by restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing. This study comprises the first report of R. felis detection in wild mammals in Yucatan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Torres-Castro
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, C.P. 97315, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Silvia Hernández-Betancourt
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, C.P. 97315, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Karla Dzul-Rosado
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Emergentes y Re-emergentes, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Av. Itzáes #490 x 59, Centro, C.P. 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Jorge Zavala-Castro
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Emergentes y Re-emergentes, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Av. Itzáes #490 x 59, Centro, C.P. 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Karina López-Avila
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Emergentes y Re-emergentes, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Av. Itzáes #490 x 59, Centro, C.P. 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Raúl Tello-Martín
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Emergentes y Re-emergentes, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Av. Itzáes #490 x 59, Centro, C.P. 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
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Eremeeva ME, Dasch GA. Challenges posed by tick-borne rickettsiae: eco-epidemiology and public health implications. Front Public Health 2015; 3:55. [PMID: 25954738 PMCID: PMC4404743 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsiae are obligately intracellular bacteria that are transmitted to vertebrates by a variety of arthropod vectors, primarily by fleas and ticks. Once transmitted or experimentally inoculated into susceptible mammals, some rickettsiae may cause febrile illness of different morbidity and mortality, and which can manifest with different types of exhanthems in humans. However, most rickettsiae circulate in diverse sylvatic or peridomestic reservoirs without having obvious impacts on their vertebrate hosts or affecting humans. We have analyzed the key features of tick-borne maintenance of rickettsiae, which may provide a deeper basis for understanding those complex invertebrate interactions and strategies that have permitted survival and circulation of divergent rickettsiae in nature. Rickettsiae are found in association with a wide range of hard and soft ticks, which feed on very different species of large and small animals. Maintenance of rickettsiae in these vector systems is driven by both vertical and horizontal transmission strategies, but some species of Rickettsia are also known to cause detrimental effects on their arthropod vectors. Contrary to common belief, the role of vertebrate animal hosts in maintenance of rickettsiae is very incompletely understood. Some clearly play only the essential role of providing a blood meal to the tick while other hosts may supply crucial supplemental functions for effective agent transmission by the vectors. This review summarizes the importance of some recent findings with known and new vectors that afford an improved understanding of the eco-epidemiology of rickettsiae; the public health implications of that information for rickettsial diseases are also described. Special attention is paid to the co-circulation of different species and genotypes of rickettsiae within the same endemic areas and how these observations may influence, correctly or incorrectly, trends, and conclusions drawn from the surveillance of rickettsial diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina E Eremeeva
- Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University , Statesboro, GA , USA
| | - Gregory A Dasch
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, GA , USA
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Saraiva DG, Soares HS, Soares JF, Labruna MB. Feeding period required by Amblyomma aureolatum ticks for transmission of Rickettsia rickettsii to vertebrate hosts. Emerg Infect Dis 2014; 20:1504-10. [PMID: 25148391 PMCID: PMC4178383 DOI: 10.3201/eid2009.140189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is endemic to the São Paulo metropolitan area, Brazil, where the etiologic agent, Rickettsia rickettsii, is transmitted to humans by adult Amblyomma aureolatum ticks. We determined the minimal feeding period required by A. aureolatum nymphs and adults to transmit R. rickettsii to guinea pigs. Unfed nymphs and unfed adult ticks had to be attached to the host for >10 hours to transmit R. rickettsii. In contrast, fed ticks needed a minimum of 10 minutes of attachment to transmit R. rickettsii to hosts. Most confirmed infections of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans in the São Paulo metropolitan area have been associated with contact with domestic dogs, the main host of A. aureolatum adult ticks. The typical expectation that transmission of tickborne bacteria to humans as well as to dogs requires ≥2 hours of tick attachment may discourage persons from immediately removing them and result in transmission of this lethal bacterium.
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Parola P, Paddock CD, Socolovschi C, Labruna MB, Mediannikov O, Kernif T, Abdad MY, Stenos J, Bitam I, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Update on tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: a geographic approach. Clin Microbiol Rev 2013; 26:657-702. [PMID: 24092850 PMCID: PMC3811236 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00032-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 893] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus Rickettsia. These zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. However, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. Several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that were considered nonpathogenic for decades are now associated with human infections, and novel Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity continue to be detected in or isolated from ticks around the world. This remarkable expansion of information has been driven largely by the use of molecular techniques that have facilitated the identification of novel and previously recognized rickettsiae in ticks. New approaches, such as swabbing of eschars to obtain material to be tested by PCR, have emerged in recent years and have played a role in describing emerging tick-borne rickettsioses. Here, we present the current knowledge on tick-borne rickettsiae and rickettsioses using a geographic approach toward the epidemiology of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Parola
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | | | - Cristina Socolovschi
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Tahar Kernif
- Service d'Ecologie des Systèmes Vectoriels, Institut Pasteur d'Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Mohammad Yazid Abdad
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - John Stenos
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Idir Bitam
- University of Boumerdes, Boumerdes, Algeria
| | - Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
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Szabó MPJ, Pinter A, Labruna MB. Ecology, biology and distribution of spotted-fever tick vectors in Brazil. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2013; 3:27. [PMID: 23875178 PMCID: PMC3709097 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Spotted-fever-caused Rickettsia rickettsii infection is in Brazil the major tick-borne zoonotic disease. Recently, a second and milder human rickettsiosis caused by an agent genetically related to R. parkeri was discovered in the country (Atlantic rainforest strain). Both diseases clearly have an ecological background linked to a few tick species and their environment. Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) and Amblyomma cajennense ticks in urban and rural areas close to water sources are the main and long-known epidemiological feature behind R. rickettsii-caused spotted-fever. Unfortunately, this ecological background seems to be increasing in the country and disease spreading may be foreseen. Metropolitan area of São Paulo, the most populous of the country, is embedded in Atlantic rainforest that harbors another important R. rickettsii vector, the tick Amblyomma aureolatum. Thus, at the city–forest interface, dogs carry infected ticks to human dwellings and human infection occurs. A role for R. rickettsii vectoring to humans of a third tick species, Rhipicephalus sanguineus in Brazil, has not been proven; however, there is circumstantial evidence for that. A R. parkeri-like strain was found in A. ovale ticks from Atlantic rainforest and was shown to be responsible for a milder febrile human disease. Rickettsia-infected A. ovale ticks are known to be spread over large areas along the Atlantic coast of the country, and diagnosis of human infection is increasing with awareness and proper diagnostic tools. In this review, ecological features of the tick species mentioned, and that are important for Rickettsia transmission to humans, are updated and discussed. Specific knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of such diseases are highlighted to guide forthcoming research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias P J Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia, Brazil.
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Simple method for locating a suitable venipuncture site on the tail of the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-013-0706-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Soares JF, Soares HS, Barbieri AM, Labruna MB. Experimental infection of the tick Amblyomma cajennense, Cayenne tick, with Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 26:139-151. [PMID: 22007869 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2011.00982.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In the laboratory, Amblyomma cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae) (Fabricius) larvae, nymphs and adults were exposed to Rickettsia rickettsii by feeding on needle-inoculated animals, and thereafter reared on uninfected guinea pigs or rabbits. Regardless of the tick stage that acquired the infection, subsequent tick stages were shown to be infected (confirming transstadial and transovarial transmissions) and were able to transmit R. rickettsii to uninfected animals, as demonstrated by serological and molecular analyses. However, the larval, nymphal and adult stages of A. cajennense were shown to be partially refractory to R. rickettsii infection, as in all cases, only part of the ticks became infected by this agent, after being exposed to rickettsemic animals. In addition, less than 50% of the infected engorged females transmitted rickettsiae transovarially, and when they did so, only part of the offspring became infected, indicating that vertical transmission alone is not enough to maintain R. rickettsii in A. cajennense for multiple generations. Finally, the R. rickettsii-infected tick groups had lower reproductive performance than the uninfected control group. Our results indicate that A. cajennense have a low efficiency to maintain R. rickettsii for successive generations, as R. rickettsii-infection rates should decline drastically throughout the successive tick generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Soares
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Exposure of small mammals to ticks and rickettsiae in Atlantic Forest patches in the metropolitan area of Recife, North-eastern Brazil. Parasitology 2012; 139:83-91. [PMID: 22217620 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182011001740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Between December 2007 and March 2009, small mammals were captured in 6 Atlantic Forest patches in Brazil. We assessed tick-host associations and whether they differ among forest strata, sites, seasons, and host age classes or between sexes. Moreover, we assessed the exposure of animals to Rickettsia spp. In total, 432 animals were captured and 808 ticks were found on 32·9% of them. Significant differences were found among host species, collection sites, and forest strata; microhabitat preference was a strong risk factor for tick infestation. The highest tick density rates were recorded in forest fragments settled in rural areas; 91·3% of the ticks were collected from animals trapped in these forest fragments. A high prevalence (68·8%) of antibodies to Rickettsia spp. was detected among animals. This study suggests that disturbed Atlantic Forest fragments provide an environment for ticks and small mammals, which are highly exposed to rickettsiae. It also indicates that forest patches settled in rural areas are usually associated with higher small mammal diversity as well as with higher tick density rates.
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