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de Albuquerque MP, Horta MC, de Melo DRX, Takeda GACG, Arraes-Santos AI, Martins TF, Pinter A. Eco-epidemiological analysis of Rickettsia parkeri in domestic dogs and Amblyomma ovale ticks in the Atlantic rainforest of Northeast Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA = BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY : ORGAO OFICIAL DO COLEGIO BRASILEIRO DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2024; 33:e012524. [PMID: 39699435 PMCID: PMC11756822 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612024077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 10/24/2024] [Indexed: 12/20/2024]
Abstract
In Brazil, spotted fever (SF) is caused by two species of Rickettsia, both of which are transmitted by Amblyomma ticks: Rickettsia rickettsii, which results in severe and often fatal cases, and Rickettsia parkeri, which causes a mild illness. This study focused on R. parkeri in Amblyomma ovale ticks from the Maciço de Baturité region, Ceará, Northeast Brazil, an area endemic for SF with mild symptoms. We examined 60 domestic dogs with access to the forest for ticks and Rickettsia seroprevalence. A landscape analysis was conducted in all forest patches within 2-10 km from the main forest edge. In total, 125 A. ovale ticks were collected from 30 dogs (50%). DNA from 65 ticks was tested using genus-specific Rickettsia primers. Three (4.6%) tick specimens tested positive for R. parkeri while the Rickettsia seroprevalence among the dogs was 55% (33/60). A probable occurrence of Rickettsia transmission was observed in the fragmented Atlantic rainforest, which has 1,019 ha of preserved land and 50.6 km of perimeter border. The land's characteristics allow for semi-domiciled dogs to access forest fragments, where A. ovale ticks are commonly present. Infected ticks may parasitize the dogs, which then transport the ticks into homes, potentially transmitting SF-causing bacteria to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia – FMVZ, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Adriano Pinter
- Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia – FMVZ, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Fernandes NNU, Jorge FR, Costa VMD, Rodrigues AKPP, Magalhães MML, Junior RSL, Braz GF, Cavalcante FRA, de Azevedo Serpa MC, Martins TF, Muñoz-Leal S, Labruna MB, Teixeira BM. Evaluating the circulation of Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia spp. in domestic dogs from a semiarid region in Brazil. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 52:101041. [PMID: 38880564 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101041] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases are important for animal and human health, because they can cause death if not diagnosed and treated early. Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) can cause high morbidity in dog populations. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is among the most virulent infectious in humans; dogs are also susceptible to infection. The aims of this study were to evaluate the presence of Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia spp. infections in domestic dogs, and to identify tick species parasitizing dogs among urban areas of two municipalities (Sobral and Alcântaras) in the Ceará State, Northeastern Brazil. A total of 208 domiciled dogs was sampled. After clinical evaluation, blood samples and ticks were collected and submitted to Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) targeting E. canis DNA. Serum samples were screened by Indirect Immunofluorescence Assays (IFA) for antibodies against different strains of Rickettsia spp. previously recognized in Brazil. The results of this study indicate the molecular detection of E. canis in the state of Ceará, Brazil, where the proportion of canine infection in Sobral (9.9%) was higher than in Alcântaras (5.6%). Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato was the prevalent tick species infesting the dogs in both municipalities (43.5 and 53.3%, respectively). Our serological results indicate that dogs of the study area were at low risk of exposure to these tick-borne Rickettsia spp. of the spotted fever group. Our study offers epidemiological data of these diseases to better understanding Rickettsiales epidemic and enzootic cycles in the Brazilian semiarid region, improving prevention and control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiani Nara Uchôa Fernandes
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Felipe Rodrigues Jorge
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Viviane Maria Dias Costa
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Ana Kétylla Ponte Prado Rodrigues
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Meylling Mayara Linhares Magalhães
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Romilson Silva Lopes Junior
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Gissandra Farias Braz
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Francisco Roger Aguiar Cavalcante
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina de Azevedo Serpa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Sebastian Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Casilla 537, Chillán, Ñuble, Chile
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Bruno Marques Teixeira
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil.
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Prati AC, Maia MO, Martins TF, Morgado TO, Corrêa SHR, Mendes EJF, Ferraz RHDS, Mudrek JR, Strüssmann C, Ramos DGDS, Semedo TBF, Minetto MK, Aguiar DMD, Pacheco RC, Melo ALT. Diversity of rickettsiae in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from wild vertebrates in part of the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal biomes in Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA = BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY : ORGAO OFICIAL DO COLEGIO BRASILEIRO DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2023; 32:e008023. [PMID: 37851794 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Ticks parasitizing 102 wild animals in the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás, Brazil were collected between 2015 and 2018. A total of 2338 ticks (865 males, 541 females, 823 nymphs, and 109 larvae) belonging to four genera (Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, and Rhipicephalus) and at least 21 species were identified. DNA extraction and a molecular survey for rickettsial agents were performed on 650 ticks. The results revealed parasitism by the following species: Rickettsia amblyommatis in Amblyomma cajennense s.s., A. cajennense s.l., Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma humerale, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma scalpturatum, Amblyomma sculptum, and Amblyomma romitii; Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma scalpturatum, and Amblyomma triste; Rickettsia rhipicephali in Haemaphysalis juxtakochi; Rickettsia sp. in A. cajennense s.s., A. nodosum, and A. sculptum, and lastly, 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae' in Amblyomma parvum and Rhipicephalus microplus. This study expands the body of knowledge about tick parasitism among wild animals, including new data concerning tick-host associations, and provides information about the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens in the Center-West region of Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Carolina Prati
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade de Cuiabá - UNIC, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Maerle Oliveira Maia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Instituto Pasteur, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Thaís Oliveira Morgado
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Sandra Helena Ramiro Corrêa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Edson Junior Figueiredo Mendes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Rosa Helena Dos Santos Ferraz
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Jessica Rhaiza Mudrek
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Christine Strüssmann
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Dirceu Guilherme de Souza Ramos
- Laboratório de Parasitologia e Análises Clínicas Veterinária, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal de Jataí - UFJ, Jataí, GO, Brasil
| | - Thiago Borges Fernandes Semedo
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- InBIO Laboratório Associado, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Programa BIOPOLIS em Genómica, Biodiversidade e Ordenamento do Território, CIBIO, de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Make Kawatake Minetto
- Instituto de Defesa Agropecuária do Estado de Mato Grosso - INDEA-MT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Daniel Moura de Aguiar
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Richard Campos Pacheco
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Veterinária e Doenças Parasitárias dos Animais Domésticos e Silvestres, Hospital Veterinário - HOVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Andréia Lima Tomé Melo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade de Cuiabá - UNIC, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
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Barbieri ARM, Suzin A, Rezende LM, Tognolli MH, Vogliotti A, Nunes PH, Pascoli GT, Ramos VDN, Yokosawa J, Azevedo Serpa MCD, Adami SF, Labruna MB, Szabó MPJ. Rickettsia communities and their relationship with tick species within and around the national park of Iguaçu, Brazil. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 91:339-358. [PMID: 37768388 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00839-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
We report Rickettsia species from 2,334 ticks collected from environment (1,939 ticks) and animals (395 ticks) in the largest inland fragment of the Atlantic rainforest of southern Brazil and its fragments. Additionally, the DNA infection rates of Amblyomma ovale tick populations in the Neotropics with Rickettsia bellii and Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest were calculated using data from scientific publications, and their correlation was evaluated. From 11 tick species Rickettsia DNA was detected in seven (Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma incisum, Amblyomma longirostre, A. ovale, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Ixodes fuscipes) and was not detected in four species (Amblyomma dubitatum, Ixodes loricatus, Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato). DNA of five Rickettsia species was detected (R. bellii, Rickettsia amblyommatis, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi). To determine the prevalence of Rickettsia DNA positivity according to vector species, ticks were processed individually or in pools of 2-10 individuals (samples). The most prevalent Rickettsia species was R. bellii, found in 112 samples, followed by R. amblyommatis, R. rhipicephali, R. felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi, found in 16, five, two and one sample, respectively. Rickettsia bellii DNA was found in five tick species with the highest infection rate in A. ovale and A. brasiliense. Absence of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale ticks was an unexpected result. Furthermore, a negative correlation was identified between the infection rates (DNA) of R. bellii and/or R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest within A. ovale tick populations in the Neotropics. Putting together current knowledge, it can be proposed that, within natural settings, the diversity of rickettsiae and ticks creates a buffering effect on the overgrowth of rickettsiae and episodes of bacteremia in the hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amália Regina Mar Barbieri
- Companhia integrada de desenvolvimento agrícola de Santa Catarina, Iomerê, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriane Suzin
- Laboratory of Ixodology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lais Miguel Rezende
- Laboratory of Ixodology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Matheus Henrique Tognolli
- Postgraduate Program in Environment and Society at the State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Vogliotti
- Latin American Institute of Life and Nature Sciences, Federal University of Latin American Integration, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Pablo Henrique Nunes
- Latin American Institute of Life and Nature Sciences, Federal University of Latin American Integration, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jonny Yokosawa
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Samuel Fernando Adami
- Latin American Institute of Technology, Infrastructure and Territory, Federal University of Latin American Integration, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matias Pablo Juan Szabó
- Laboratory of Ixodology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Rodrigues AC, de Castro MB, Labruna MB, Szabó MPJ. The inoculation eschar of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis in Brazil: Importance and cautions. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102127. [PMID: 36693294 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Two well characterized tick-borne rickettsioses occur in Brazil. Rickettsia rickettsii caused spotted-fever, transmitted by Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma aureolatum, is a severe disease with a high case-fatality rate in the southeastern region of the country. Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest infections transmitted by adult Amblyomma ovale ticks cause a milder non-lethal febrile disease with an eschar (necrosis) at the tick bite site. Clinical diagnosis of rickettsiosis is challenging, particularly during the early stages of the illness when signs and symptoms are non-specific. Since eschar at the tick bite site has emerged as the main clinical feature of mild R. parkeri infections and used to differentiate it from severe R. rickettsii infection, its proper recognition, distinction from other tick bite lesions, and boundaries as a clinical tool must be highlighted. Of importance, eschars induced by Rickettsia must be differentiated from dermatoses caused by other tick-borne skin infections as well from lesions caused by the tick bite itself. We herein highlight information on eschar in rickettsial diseases in Brazil and discuss the need for further research on its clinical relevance and application in the diagnosis of spotted fever caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest. In particular, we draw attention to diagnosis of other febrile diseases in the presence of concomitant tick bites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Castro Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720/Campus Umuarama-Bloco 2T, CEP 38400-902, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Márcio Botelho de Castro
- Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L4 Norte, Hospital Veterinário - Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, CP. 4508, Asa Norte, CEP 70910-970, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matias Pablo Juan Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720/Campus Umuarama-Bloco 2T, CEP 38400-902, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Moerbeck L, Domingos A, Antunes S. Tick-Borne Rickettsioses in the Iberian Peninsula. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11111377. [PMID: 36422628 PMCID: PMC9695430 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses (TBR) are caused by obligate, intracellular bacteria of the spotted-fever group (SFG) of the genus Rickettsia (Order Rickettsiales), transmitted by hard ticks. TBR are one of the oldest known vector-borne zoonoses and pose a threat to both human and animal health, as over the years, new SFG Rickettsia spp. have been reported worldwide with the potential to be human pathogens. In Portugal and Spain, the countries that constitute the Iberian Peninsula, reported TB rickettsiae causing human disease include Rickettsia conorii conorii, Rickettsia conorii israelensis, Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia raoultii, Candidatus Rickettsia rioja, Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae, and Rickettsia monacensis. An allochthonous case of TBR caused by Rickettsia massiliae, described in Spain, points to the need to monitor disease epidemiology, to predict risks of exposure and spread of disease, and taking into account globalization and climate changes. This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the status of TBR in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as to show the importance of a national and international collaborative epidemiology surveillance network, towards monitoring Rickettsia spp. circulation in both Portugal and Spain.
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Pereira MC, Anholeto LA, Kasa GG, Castro KNDC, Canuto KM, Souza ASDQ, Camargo-Mathias MI. Efficacy of essential oils of Egletes viscosa and Lippia schaueriana on the reproductive biology of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato engorged females. Exp Parasitol 2022; 244:108423. [PMID: 36403801 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108423] [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: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The study analyzed the chemical composition and the acaricide effect of Egletes viscosa Less (macela-da-terra) and Lippia schaueriana Mart. (lipia-da-serra) essential oils (EOs) on Rhipicephalus sanguineus s. l. (Acari: Ixodidae) engorged females. The chemical analysis (GC-MS and GC-FID) identified 27 components in E. viscosa EO and 18 in L. schaueriana EO, which comprise more than 98% of its constituents. The effects of the oils on the reproductive biology of R. sanguineus ticks were assessed by adult immersion test. Both EOs significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the egg production index when the females were exposed to 25 and 50 mg/mL, also affecting the egg viability. During the laying process, the eggs produced by the females exposed to the EO showed several morphological alterations such as dehydrated, darkened, and disaggregated, and these alterations were more severe as the concentrations increased. The mortality percentages were 58.9%, 70.8% and 92.7% when the ticks were exposed to 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/mL of E. viscosa oil, respectively. In the same concentrations, the efficacy of L. schaueriana was 39.3%, 53.4%, and 84.6%. Therefore, it can be concluded that the essential oils of E. viscosa and L. schaueriana have acaricidal effect in females of R. sanguineus s.l ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Carolina Pereira
- São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Department of General and Applied Biology, 24A Ave, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-700, Brazil
| | - Luis Adriano Anholeto
- Embrapa Southeast Livestock, Rodovia Washington Luiz, km 234, Fazenda Canchim, São Carlos, SP, 13560-970, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Gennari Kasa
- São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Department of General and Applied Biology, 24A Ave, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-700, Brazil
| | | | - Kirley Marques Canuto
- Embrapa Tropical Agroindustry, Rua Doutora Sara Mesquita, 2270, Planalto do Pici, Fortaleza, CE, 60511-110, Brazil
| | - Ana Sheila de Queiroz Souza
- Embrapa Tropical Agroindustry, Rua Doutora Sara Mesquita, 2270, Planalto do Pici, Fortaleza, CE, 60511-110, Brazil
| | - Maria Izabel Camargo-Mathias
- São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Department of General and Applied Biology, 24A Ave, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-700, Brazil.
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Kmetiuk LB, Paula WVDF, Pádua GT, Delai RR, Freitas AR, Farinhas JH, de Paula LGF, Giuffrida R, Pimpão CT, Álvares Santarém V, Dos Santos AP, Figueiredo FB, Krawczak FDS, Biondo AW. Epidemiology of Rickettsia spp. in Atlantic rainforest areas of island and seashore mainland, southern Brazil. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:3597-3605. [PMID: 36196667 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Non-fatal cases of rickettsial infection with different clinical features than the classic BSF (Brazilian Spotted Fever) have been reported in seashore areas of Paraná state, southern Brazil. In addition, Amblyomma ovale tick infected by Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest has been also described in this area. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies in human and dog populations, and Rickettsia spp. infection in ticks from oceanic islands and seashore mainland cities of southern Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 328 persons and their 282 dogs from three islands and two seashore mainland cities. A total of 211 ticks were collected from dogs, identified as A. ovale and R. sanguineus. In overall, 40 of 328 (12.2%) human samples were seropositive for Rickettsia spp., including 21 of 190 (11.1%) on islands and 19 of 138 (13.7%) on seashore mainland, and 62 of 282 (22.0%) dog samples, including 31 of 153 (20.3%) on islands and 31 of 129 (24.0%) in seashore mainland areas. In overall, nine of 82 (11.0%) ticks were positive to real-time PCR assay targeting a fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene, including two of 64 (3.1%) Rickettsia sanguineus and seven of 18 (38.9%) A. ovale, of which four were infected with the R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest. Despite no association between risk factors and Rickettsia spp. seropositivity was found in human beings, access to natural areas (p = .011) and tick infestation (p = .004) was significantly associated to dog seropositivity. The serological and molecular findings herein have confirmed previous tick and clinical case reports and enlarged the geographical occurrence of A. ovale infected by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in oceanic islands and seashore mainland cities of Paraná State, indicating a new likely transmission area of this new rickettsial infection in human beings and dogs of southern Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Bach Kmetiuk
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Gracielle Teles Pádua
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Ruana Renostro Delai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná State, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Rogério Giuffrida
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Western São Paulo (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, Brazil
| | - Claudia Turra Pimpão
- Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Vamilton Álvares Santarém
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Western São Paulo (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, Brazil
| | - Andrea Pires Dos Santos
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | | | | | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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9
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Nogueira BCF, Campos AK, Muñoz-Leal S, Pinter A, Martins TF. Soft and hard ticks (Parasitiformes: Ixodida) on humans: A review of Brazilian biomes and the impact of environmental change. Acta Trop 2022; 234:106598. [PMID: 35841953 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Records of accidental parasitism by ticks in humans from Brazil are scarce, with most being reported by researchers who are parasitized during their research and by professionals who work with animals. In order to compile these records, an extensive literature review was carried out. Our revision includes studies published between 1909 and 2022, including nine species of the Argasidae family and 32 species of the Ixodidae family that were reported biting humans in the six biomes of the Brazilian territory. The species with the highest number of records of human parasitism was Amblyomma sculptum, followed by Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto, and Amblyomma brasiliense. The Atlantic Forest was the most frequent biome where human parasitism occurred, probably due to the greater number of inhabitants, universities, and researchers in the region; however, this does not mean that this biome is more conducive to the development of ticks and their parasitism in humans. In addition to Amblyomma ovale, a vector of Rickettsia parkeri in the country, two of the main species that act as vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii, A. sculptum, and Amblyomma aureolatum, have been reported, which is quite worrying considering that the wide distribution of the species and life stages most frequently mentioned in parasitism (i.e., nymphs and adults) are the ones that favour pathogen transmission. This research provides a significant contribution to the knowledge of tick species associated with human parasitism in Brazil; however, due to environmental change potentiated by deforestation and fires, it is expected that there will be a geographic expansion of some tick species and the pathogens that use them as a vector and an increase in human parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Artur Kanadani Campos
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | - Adriano Pinter
- Departamento de Laboratórios Especializados, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Laboratórios Especializados, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil; Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.
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10
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de Carvalho Nunes E, de Moura-Martiniano NO, de Lima Duré AÍ, de Melo Iani FC, de Oliveira SV, de Mello FL, Gazêta GS. Spotted Fever in the Morphoclimatic Domains of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2021.718047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Brazil, the tick-borne rickettsiosis known as Spotted Fever (SF) has been recorded from 59% of the Federative Units, however, the knowledge of the epidemiology and dynamics of human infection remains incipient in certain areas, complicating appropriate public health actions to inform the general population and control the disease. Here, we improved the interpretation of epidemiological information of SF cases recorded for an important endemic area. A descriptive epidemiological study was carried out based on records in the SINAN (Notifiable Diseases Information System) SF case databases. Data analysis was performed using Python programming language, Pandas library and Qgis map making. To evaluate the sociodemographic, clinical, assistance, laboratory and epidemiological characteristics, simple and relative nominal values of occurrences, means and standard deviations, and molecular analyzes were performed to identify the bioagent present in biological samples collected during each case investigation. Of the 298 confirmed cases, 98 resulted in death, the number of cases increased from 2011, and the disease scenario had 32.8% lethality. Overall, 207 cases involved men, and lethality was higher in this group. The most affected age group was 30 to 59 years old. The majority of patients reported having had contact with animals such as ticks, capybara and domestic animals such as dogs and cats. The results corroborate existing studies in areas of severe SF cases in Brazil. Despite reports of SF cases from the Cerrado Biome, analyses show that serious cases occur in anthropized areas of the Atlantic Forest biome, and in a transition area between this and the Cerrado. Complex, longitudinal, multidisciplinary studies, with an eco-epidemiological focus, should be carried out to allow the construction of algorithms capable of predicting, in time and space, the risk factors associated with severe cases and deaths from SF, with the aim of avoiding their expansion.
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11
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Martiniano NODM, Sato TP, Vizzoni VF, Ventura SDF, Oliveira SVD, Amorim M, Gazêta GS. A new focus of spotted fever caused by Rickettsia parkeri in Brazil. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2022; 64:e22. [PMID: 35293560 PMCID: PMC8916588 DOI: 10.1590/s1678-9946202264022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spotted fever (SF) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia . The disease varies in severity from mild clinical forms to severe cases. In Brazil, Rickettsia rickettsii SF is the most serious rickettsiosis and can result in death if not diagnosed and treated at the onset of symptoms. The SF mild form is caused by Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest, and this etiological agent has been reported in the South, Southeast and Northeast regions of the country, in areas of preserved or little antropized Atlantic Rainforest. Amblyomma ovale is the proven vector and dogs are the hosts associated with the bioagent cycle. During a SF case investigation in Paraty municipality, Rio de Janeiro State, an Atlantic Rainforest biome area in Southeastern Brazil, the human pathogen R. parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest was detected by PCR in a sample of human skin inoculation eschar and in a female A. ovale tick collected from a dog. These results expand the known area of occurrence of this mild form rickettsiosis in Brazil. In addition, the results of the present study indicate the importance of implementing programs to control canine ectoparasites and to raise awareness of the risks of infection, signs and symptoms of SF caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest.
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12
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Garcia MV, Zimmermann NP, Rodrigues VDS, Aguirre ADAR, Higa LDOS, Matias J, Barbosa CDS, Piña FTB, Andreotti R. Tick fauna in non-anthropogenic areas in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, with the presence of the Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in Amblyomma ovale. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101831. [PMID: 34598098 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate tick fauna and identify the possible presence of Rickettsia spp. in ticks of the genus Amblyomma from two environmental preservation areas in different regions of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. CO2 traps, visual observation and cloth dragging were used to capture ticks. Three hundred ticks were submitted to the hemolymph test, and samples that showed organisms morphologically compatible with Rickettsia were used for rickettsial DNA detection by PCR. DNA was extracted using guanidine-phenol isothiocyanate, and the primers CS78 and CS323 were used for PCR, which amplified a 401-base pair fragment of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene. If positive, the DNA sample was tested by primers Rr190.70p and Rr190.602n that produce a 530 bp amplicon of the ompA gene that is present only in rickettsiae of the spotted fever group. A total of 1,745 adult ticks were collected, including 1,673 specimens of Amblyomma sculptum, 63 of Amblyomma coelebs, five of Amblyomma naponense and four of Amblyomma ovale. Thirteen ticks of the species A. ovale, A. coelebs and A. sculptum showed structures compatible with Rickettsia inside the hemocytes; after DNA extraction, the presence of Rickettsia spp. in a sample of A. ovale was confirmed by PCR in both analyzed fragments. In the sequencing analysis, 100% identity for the Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest was obtained according to GenBank. The two environmental preservation areas showed A. sculptum as the predominant species, as well as the presence of marked seasonality for this species. This paper is the first report of the R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale ticks in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Valerio Garcia
- Bolsista Fundapam/Laboratório de Biologia do Carrapato, Embrapa Gado de Corte, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Namor Pinheiro Zimmermann
- Bolsista Fundapam/Laboratório de Biologia do Carrapato, Embrapa Gado de Corte, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Vinicius da Silva Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Ixodologia/Doutorando no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. Av. Amazonas s/n, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, Uberlândia, MG, 38405-302, Brazil
| | - Andre de Abreu Rangel Aguirre
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Rondônia, Rua da Beira, No. 7671, Bairro Lagoa, CEP 76812-245 Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | | | - Jaqueline Matias
- Post Doctorate/Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Renato Andreotti
- Embrapa Gado de Corte, Avenida Radio Maia, 830, Campo Grande, MS CEP 79106-550, Brazil.
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13
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Dantas-Torres F, Melo MF, Sales KGDS, Sousa-Paula LCD, da Silva FJ, Figueredo LA, Labruna MB. Seasonal dynamics and rickettsial infection in free-living Amblyomma dubitatum in the Atlantic forest biome in north-eastern Brazil. Acta Trop 2021; 217:105854. [PMID: 33561429 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The genus Amblyomma is the most representative tick genus in Brazil and some species act as vectors of pathogenic organisms to animals and humans. Information on the seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma spp. as well as on rickettsial organisms infecting these ticks in some regions in Brazil is still fragmentary. Herein, we investigated the seasonal dynamics and rickettsial infections in Amblyomma dubitatum ticks collected in the Atlantic forest biome in north-eastern Brazil. Using carbon dioxide traps, ticks were collected monthly for two consecutive years. In total, 15,789 ticks were collected: 69 females (0.4%), 116 males (0.7%), 1,067 nymphs (6.8%), and 14,537 larvae (92.1%). All nymphs, females and males were identified as A. dubitatum, whereas larvae were identified as Amblyomma spp. Larvae were more frequent in summer (77% of the larvae collected), whereas nymphs were collected with similar frequency in summer (32.8%), autumn (30.0%) and spring (28.4%). Adults were more frequent in spring (47.6%). A total of 648 ticks (485 nymphs, 60 females, and 103 males) were tested by PCR for the gltA gene of Rickettsia spp. and 87 (13.4%; 95% CI: 10.9-16.3%) were positive. A consensus sequence (size, 350 bp) of 66 gltA gene sequences indicate that the organism detected herein is similar to Rickettsia tamurae, Rickettsia monacencis and Rickettsia sp. strain Pampulha. One of these positive samples was also positive for the ompA gene of spotted fever group rickettsiae, but attempts to sequence the amplicon were not successful. We also tested this sample by a PCR targeting the rickettsial htrA gene, but no amplification product could be detected. This study indicates that A. dubitatum may be a common tick in areas where capybaras are present in north-eastern Brazil, occurring during the whole year. It also suggests the circulation of a spotted fever group rickettsia in this A. dubitatum population, whose identity has yet to be determined.
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14
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Durães LS, Bitencourth K, Ramalho FR, Nogueira MC, Nunes EDC, Gazêta GS. Biodiversity of Potential Vectors of Rickettsiae and Epidemiological Mosaic of Spotted Fever in the State of Paraná, Brazil. Front Public Health 2021; 9:577789. [PMID: 33777873 PMCID: PMC7994328 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.577789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spotted Fever Rickettsioses (SFR) are diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia, and are transmitted mainly by ticks. Its eco-epidemiological scenarios vary spatially, and may also vary over time due to environmental changes. It is the main disease transmitted by ticks to humans in Brazil, with the state of Paraná (PR) having the sixth highest number of notified incidences in the country. However, information is lacking regarding the SFR disease cycles at likely infection sites within PR. During case investigations or environmental surveillance in PR for SFR, 28,517 arthropods were collected, including species known or potentially involved in the SFR cycles, such as Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma parkeri, Ctenocephalides felis felis, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. From these Rickettsia asembonensis, Rickettsia bellii, Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest and Candidatus Rickettsia paranaensis were detected. Ectoparasite abundance was found to be related with specific hosts and collection environments. Rickettsiae circulation was observed for 48 municipalities, encompassing 16 Health Regions (HR). As for socio-demographic and assistance indicators, circulation occurred largely in the most urbanized HR, with a higher per capita Gross Domestic Product, lower Family Health Strategy coverage, and with a higher ratio of beds in the Unified Health System per thousand inhabitants. For environmental variables, circulation occurred predominantly in HR with a climatic classified as “subtropical with hot summers” (Cfa), and with forest type phytogeographic formations. In terms of land use, circulation was commonest in areas with agriculture, pasture and fields and forest cover. Rickettsiae were circulating in almost all hydrographic basins of PR state. The results of this study provide the first descriptive recognition of SFR in PR, as well as outlining its eco-epidemiological dynamics. These proved to be quite heterogeneous, and analyzed scenarios showed characteristics strongly-associated with the outbreaks, with cases presenting clinical variation in space, so illustrating the complexity of scenarios in PR state. Due to the diversity of the circumstances surrounding SFR infections in PR, public health initiatives are necessary to foster a better understanding of the dynamics and factors effecting vulnerability to SFR in this Brazilian state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliane Silva Durães
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.,Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses- Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde/Ministério da Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karla Bitencourth
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses- Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde/Ministério da Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Frederico Rodrigues Ramalho
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses- Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde/Ministério da Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mário Círio Nogueira
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Emília de Carvalho Nunes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.,Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses- Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde/Ministério da Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Salles Gazêta
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.,Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses- Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde/Ministério da Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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15
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Suzin A, Vogliotti A, Nunes PH, Barbieri ARM, Labruna MB, Szabó MPJ. Free-living ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Iguaçu National Park, Brazil: Temporal dynamics and questing behavior on vegetation. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101471. [PMID: 32723660 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Basic knowledge of species, ecological preferences and behavior of ticks in preserved rainforests are scanty. We herein describe species richness, seasonal activity, altitude influence and questing height of ticks along 3375 m of animal trails within the largest remain of inland Atlantic rainforest in Brazil, the Iguaçu National Park (INP). Altogether, 2954 ticks from nine tick species were collected; Amblyomma brasiliense Aragão (49.09% of the specimens), Amblyomma coelebs Neumann (29.08%), Amblyomma incisum Neumann (12.49%), Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Cooley (5.21%), Amblyomma ovale Koch (2.64%), Amblyomma longirostre Koch (0.20%), Ixodes fuscipes Fonseca (0.17%), Ixodes loricatus Neumann (0.07%) and Amblyomma dubitatum Neumann (0.03%) (Ixodida: Ixodidae). There was an evident seasonal influence on tick host-questing activity, with each tick stage prevailing in a season before the following one, and a general trend of one tick generation per year. Adult tick questing height mode on vegetation showed a correspondence between tick species and preferred host size and height. Adult ticks quested higher than immatures, but several larval clusters were found high enough to seek for large-sized hosts as well. Nymphal and adult tick questing height increased significantly at higher altitudes within the park. Amblyomma incisum and A. coelebs were more abundant at higher and lower altitudes, respectively. The knowledge on tick species richness, ecological preferences and behavior herein obtained provides baseline information to understand tick-borne disease epidemiology occurring at landscapes under a strong anthropogenic impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriane Suzin
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Vogliotti
- Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciências da Vida e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (UNILA), Foz Do Iguaçu, Paraná 85866-970, Brazil
| | - Pablo Henrique Nunes
- Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciências da Vida e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (UNILA), Foz Do Iguaçu, Paraná 85866-970, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Matias Pablo Juan Szabó
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38400-902, Brazil.
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16
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Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Muñoz-Leal S, Krawczak FS, Acosta ICL, Martins TF, Serpa MCA, Barbieri ARM, Tovar JR, Cerutti Junior C, Labruna MB. Epidemiological aspects of Rickettsia parkeri in the Atlantic forest biome of Espírito Santo state, Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 11:101319. [PMID: 31707006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Since 2010, a new rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia parkeri, a species included in the spotted fever group (SFG) and transmitted by the tick Amblyomma ovale, has been described in Brazil. Considering that A. ovale does occur in the Espírito Santo state (ES), the present study aimed at preliminarily describing the epidemiology of R. parkeri in the Atlantic forest of this state. Between June 2016 and September 2018, 33 villages from nine municipalities of the ES were included in a study for the molecular detection and isolation of SFG rickettsiae from adult Amblyomma ticks collected on dogs with free access to the forest. Serologic screenings against SFG rickettsiae in these animals and their owners (humans) were performed through immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using antigens of Rickettsia rickettsii and R. parkeri. Additionally, local health secretariats were informed on clinical manifestations of R. parkeri infection and told to communicate any suspected case. A total of 280 adult ticks were collected and taxonomically classified as A. ovale (n = 152), Amblyomma aureolatum (n = 127) and Amblyomma sculptum (n = 1). Overall, Rickettsia DNA was detected in 12/266 ticks. The sequencing of PCR products revealed that 0.7% (1/144) and 0.8% (1/121) of the analyzed A. ovale and A. aureolatum ticks were infected by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, respectively, and 8.3% (10/121) of the A. aureolatum ticks infected by Rickettsia bellii. Among the above PCR-positive ticks, only one isolate from one A. aureolatum tick was successfully established in the laboratory. DNA extracted from the third passage of this isolate was designated as strain M9A and molecularly characterized using primers targeting the Rickettsia gltA gene, whose sequence matched 100% the corresponding sequences of R. bellii. Seroprevalence against SFG rickettsiae in sampled dogs (n = 83) was 41% or 57%, depending on the rickettsial antigen (R. rickettsii strain Taiaçu or R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, respectively). A total of 37 (45%) canine sera showed titers to R. parkeri at least fourfold higher than to R. rickettsii antigen. Among humans, 10% (4/41) of the samples reacted to at least one rickettsial antigen, with the highest endpoint titer varying from 64 to 128 for R. rickettsii and R. parkeri; no human serum showed ≥4-fold difference between the highest endpoint titers. Finally, during the study period, suspicions on cases of R. parkeri-rickettsiosis were not informed by the health secretariats. Our results confirm the presence and exposure to R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, associated with two anthropophilic tick species (A. ovale and A. aureolatum) parasitizing domestic dogs with unrestrained access to forest areas. Consequently, the occurrence of R. parkeri infection in humans inhabiting the Atlantic forests of ES should not be discarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez
- Postgraduate Program in Infectious Diseases, Health Science Center, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Committee of Tropical Medicine, Zoonoses and Travel Medicine, Asociación Colombiana de Infectología, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe S Krawczak
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Igor C L Acosta
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina A Serpa
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Amalia R M Barbieri
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana R Tovar
- Núcleo Especial de Vigilância Epidemiológica, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Estado do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Crispim Cerutti Junior
- Postgraduate Program in Infectious Diseases, Health Science Center, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Phenology of Amblyomma sculptum in a degraded area of Atlantic rainforest in north-eastern Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:101263. [PMID: 31331735 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Amblyomma sculptum is the principal vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the main agent of spotted fever rickettsiosis in Brazil. Little information is available regarding the population dynamics of this tick in some regions, including north-eastern Brazil, where cases of spotted fever rickettsioses are increasingly reported. Herein, we studied the phenology of A. sculptum in a rural area in north-eastern Brazil. Ticks were collected from the environment, using dry ice-baited traps, monthly for two consecutive years. In total, 1500 ticks were collected: 94 females (6.3%), 74 males (4.9%), 468 nymphs (31.2%), and 864 larvae (57.6%). All nymphs and females were identified as A. sculptum. Males were tentatively identified as A. sculptum and larvae as Amblyomma spp. Ticks were more numerous during spring and summer, followed by autumn and winter. Peaks of larvae and nymphs were recorded during summer and spring, respectively, whereas adults were more frequently collected in spring. A total of 380 ticks were tested by PCR for the gltA gene of Rickettsia spp., but none of them were positive. While our results revealed a seasonal pattern for A. sculptum in north-eastern Brazil that is distinct from the seasonal pattern in south-eastern Brazil, we caution that the observed pattern could have been biased by the relatively low number of ticks collected. Finally, the absence of Rickettsia-infected ticks does not rule out the possibility that rickettsial organisms are circulating in the study area and further long-term studies are warranted.
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18
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Bitencourth K, Amorim M, de Oliveira SV, Voloch CM, Gazêta GS. Genetic diversity, population structure and rickettsias in Amblyomma ovale in areas of epidemiological interest for spotted fever in Brazil. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 33:256-268. [PMID: 30746741 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma ovale (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Koch, 1844 is widely-reported in the neotropical region and is the main vector in the epidemic cycle of Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, a bioagent of a milder variety of spotted fever (SF). Because species with wide geographical distributions are known to exhibit variations that influence their vectorial capacity, the present study aimed to analyze genetic diversity and rickettsia infection of A. ovale collected during the investigation and surveillance of SF cases in the Cerrado and Atlantic rainforest (ARF) Brazilian biomes. Samples had their DNA extracted, amplified and sequenced for 16S rDNA, 12S rDNA, cytochrome oxidase subunit II and D-loop markers for tick analyses, as well as the gltA, htrA, ompA and ompB genes for rickettsia detection. Between 11 and 33 A. ovale haplotypes were identified, all of them exclusive to areas within individual analyzed biome areas. The A. ovale populations appeared to be structured, with Cluster I restricted to Cerrado + ARF isolated in Caatinga and Cluster II to ARF continuous area. Rickettsia bellii, R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest (first report for Goiás state, Cerrado), Rickettsia asemboensis (first record in A. ovale for Brazil) and Rickettsia felis (first detection in this ixodid) were identified. A. ovale clusters were not associated with rickettsia types.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Bitencourth
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Amorim
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - S V de Oliveira
- Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Unidade Técnica de Vigilância de Zoonoses, Brasília, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - C M Voloch
- Laboratório de Biologia Evolutiva Teórica e Aplicada, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - G S Gazêta
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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19
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Kmetiuk LB, Krawczak FS, Machado FP, Paploski IAD, Martins TF, Teider-Junior PI, Serpa MCA, Barbieri ARM, Bach RVW, Barros-Filho IR, Lipinski LC, P. dos Santos A, Labruna MB, Biondo AW. Ticks and serosurvey of anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies in wild boars (Sus scrofa), hunting dogs and hunters of Brazil. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007405. [PMID: 31145746 PMCID: PMC6542515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsia bacteria are responsible for diseases in humans and animals around the world, however few details are available regarding its ecology and circulation among wild animals and human populations at high transmission risk in Brazil. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of ticks and Rickettsia spp. in wild boars, corresponding hunting dogs and hunters. METHODS Serum samples and ticks were collected from 80 free-range wild boars, 170 hunting dogs and 34 hunters from southern and central-western Brazil, from the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes, respectively, between 2016 and 2018. Serum samples were tested by indirect immunofluorescent-antibody assay (IFA) to detect IgG antibodies against Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri, Rickettsia bellii, Rickettsia rhipicephali and Rickettsia amblyommatis. Tick species were identified by morphological taxonomic keys, as previously described. A total of 164 ticks including A. sculptum, A. brasiliense and A. aureolatum were tested in PCR assays for Spotted Fever Group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. RESULTS A total of 58/80 (72.5%) wild boars, 24/170 (14.1%) hunting dogs and 5/34 (14.7%) hunters were positive (titers ≥ 64) to at least one Rickettsia species. A total of 669/1,584 (42.2%) ticks from wild boars were identified as Amblyomma sculptum, 910/1,584 (57.4%) as Amblyomma brasiliense, 4/1,584(0.24%) larvae of Amblyomma spp. and 1/1,584 (0.06%) nymph as Amblyolmma dubitatum. All 9 ticks found on hunting dogs were identified as Amblyomma aureolatum and all 22 ticks on hunters as A. sculptum. No tested tick was positive by standard PCR to SFG Rickettsia spp. CONCLUSIONS The present study was the concomitant report of wild boar, hunting dog and hunter exposure to SFG rickettsiae agents, performed in two different Brazilian biomes. Wild boar hunting may increase the risk of human exposure and consequently tick-borne disease Wild boars may be carrying and spreading capybara ticks from their original habitats to other ecosystems. Further studies can be required to explore the ability of wild boars to infecting ticks and be part of transmission cycle of Rickettsia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise B. Kmetiuk
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Felipe S. Krawczak
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Fernanda P. Machado
- Department of Veterinary Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Igor A. D. Paploski
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Thiago F. Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro I. Teider-Junior
- Department of Veterinary Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Maria C. A. Serpa
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amália R. M. Barbieri
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renato V. W. Bach
- Department of Medicine, State University of Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Ivan R. Barros-Filho
- Department of Veterinary Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Andrea P. dos Santos
- Assistant professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexander W. Biondo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Adjunct professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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20
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Machado IB, Bitencourth K, Cardoso KM, Oliveira SV, Santalucia M, Marques SFF, Amorim M, GazêTa GS. Diversity of rickettsiae and potential vectors of spotted fever in an area of epidemiological interest in the Cerrado biome, midwestern Brazil. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 32:481-489. [PMID: 29972600 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Brazilian state of Goiás, untouched by spotted fever (SF) until 2012, has subsequently reported cases of the disease in several regions. This study aimed to survey the diversity of potential vectors and rickettsia in areas of Goiás under environmental surveillance or case investigation for SF. Collected specimens were assayed with molecular biology technology using DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of fragments of the genes gltA, ompA, ompB and sca4 to detect rickettsia in ticks and fleas. Amplification of cytochrome oxidase subunit II and 16S rRNA was performed to assist tick identification. Rickettsia felis (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) was found in Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). Rickettsia bellii was found in Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and in Amblyomma cajennense sensu lato. Rickettsia sp. strain NOD was found in Amblyomma nodosum Neumann, 1899. Of the Amblyomma cajennense complex, Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888 was confirmed in the northern, northeast, midwest and southeast regions of Goiás, whereas Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (Fabricius, 1787) was found only in the northern region of the state. Amblyomma dubitatum Neumann, 1899 associated with a species of the A. cajennense complex was the most common epidemiological finding, although Rickettsia rickettsii was not detected. This is the first report of Rickettsia sp. strain NOD in Goiás.
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Affiliation(s)
- I B Machado
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - K Bitencourth
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - K M Cardoso
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - S V Oliveira
- Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Unidade Técnica de Vigilância de Zoonoses, Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | - M Santalucia
- Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - S F F Marques
- Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - M Amorim
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - G S GazêTa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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21
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Silva AB, Cardoso KM, de Oliveira SV, Costa RMF, Oliveira G, Amorim M, Alves LC, Monteiro MFM, Gazeta GS. Rickettsia amblyommatis infecting Amblyomma pseudoconcolor in area of new focus of spotted fever in northeast Brazil. Acta Trop 2018; 182:305-308. [PMID: 29545159 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In Brazil, active infections of Rickettsia spp. is confirmed in all regions, involving various species of ticks. During investigation of a new focus of Spotted Fever (SF) incidence in the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, tick species Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Latreille), and Amblyomma pseudoconcolor were collected from one Canis familiaris and four Euphractus sexcinctus, respectively, and analized for the presence of rickettsial genes. Ten A. pseudoconcolor ticks (90.9%) were found to be infected with Rickettsia, whereas no evidence of Rickettsia spp. was found in R. sanguineus s. l. Genetic analysis based of five rickettsial genes showed that the detected strain is most closely related to Rickettsia amblyommatis (formerly Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii). R. amblyommatis was, for the first time, detected in Amblyomma pseudoconcolor and the results pointed to this tick like a potential vector in the enzootic cycle of R. amblyommatis in a typical semiarid Brazilian savannah region. In conclusion, despite the need for further studies to confirm if R. amblyommatis was responsible for the observed case in the state of Pernambuco, the presence of this bacterium during an SF focussed investigation should be a major concern in terms of public health due the capacity of SF for rapid and extensive dispersion within Brazilian territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arannadia Barbosa Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Universidade CEUMA - UNICEUMA, Imperatriz, MA, Brazil; Faculdade Vale do Aço - FAVALE, Açailândia, MA, Brazil
| | - Karen Medeiros Cardoso
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Stefan Vilges de Oliveira
- Coordenação Geral de Doenças Transmissíveis, Departamento de Vigilância das Doenças Transmissíveis, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | | | - Geane Oliveira
- Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Marinete Amorim
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Leucio Câmara Alves
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Gilberto Salles Gazeta
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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22
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Acosta IDCL, Luz HR, Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Muñoz-Leal S, Cerutti Junior C, Labruna MB. First molecular detection of Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest in Amblyomma ovale ticks from Espírito Santo state, Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 27:420-422. [PMID: 29846442 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-296120180017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Espírito Santo state (southeastern Brazil) is considered an endemic area for spotted fever group rickettsioses. In February 2017, we received in our laboratory seven unfed Amblyomma ovale adult ticks collected by a farmer from his clothes and body (not attached) during a working day in the rural area of Ibiraçu municipality, Espírito Santo state. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses, targeting gltA and ompA rickettsial genes, the DNA of Rickettsia was detected in 6/7 (85.7%) A. ovale. In all cases, DNA sequencing of PCR products revealed that consensus sequences of both genes were 100% identical to gltA and ompA corresponding sequences of Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest retrieved from GenBank. This study reports the first molecular detection of Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale ticks from Espírito Santo state. Our findings indicate a new Brazilian state in the southeast region at risk of human infection with this tick-borne emerging rickettsial agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor da Cunha Lima Acosta
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Álvaro Adolfo Faccini-Martínez
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Vitória, ES, Brasil.,Comité de Medicina Tropical, Zoonosis y Medicina del Viajero, Asociación Colombiana de Infectología, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Crispim Cerutti Junior
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Vitória, ES, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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23
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Oliveira SVD, Costa RMF, Ferreira G, Pereira SVC, Amorim M, Monteiro MFM, Alves LC, Gazeta GS. Fatal case of spotted fever in a patient from Northeastern Brazil. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2018; 60:e21. [PMID: 29846472 PMCID: PMC5975566 DOI: 10.1590/s1678-9946201860021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spotted fevers are diseases caused by bacterial agents belonging to the
spotted-fever (SF) group of the genus Rickettsia. The first
documented case of SF in Pernambuco State, Northeast Brazil, was reported here.
Also, it is the first case described of fatal SF in Northeast region of Brazil.
The patient was a resident of Arcoverde municipality and the probable site of
infection lies in Sertania municipality, both in Pernambuco State, a semi-arid
region of Brazil. The patient had not visited other areas where SF is endemic.
The patient showed clinical manifestations and epidemiological exposure
compatible with SF, and the infection was confirmed by molecular biology
techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Geane Ferreira
- Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Marinete Amorim
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional para Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Leucio Câmara Alves
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Salles Gazeta
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional para Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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24
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Krawczak FS, Labruna MB. The rice rat Euryoryzomys russatus, a competent amplifying host of Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest for the tick Amblyomma ovale. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1133-1136. [PMID: 29703549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest (SAR) is the etiological agent of a spotted fever group rickettsiosis in Brazil, where it is transmitted to humans by the tick Amblyomma ovale. A previous study demonstrated that R. parkeri SAR was successfully maintained in A. ovale ticks by transstadial and transovarial passages; however, because this agent induced lower reproduction rates in A. ovale, the participation of a vertebrate amplifier host, yet to be determined, was speculated. Since the rice rat Euryoryzomys russatus was demonstrated to be the most important host for immature stages of A. ovale in a focus of R. parkeri SAR transmission, the present study evaluated the competence of rice rats to act as amplifying host of R. parkeri SAR for A. ovale ticks. Rice rats were infested with R. parkeri SAR-infected A. ovale nymphs, and four days later with uninfected A. ovale larvae. Rickettsial transmission to rats was confirmed by seroconversion to R. parkeri antigens. Detached engorged larvae were allowed to molt to nymphs, in which rickettsial DNA was detected in up to 60% (mean: 20%) of the specimens. When part of these nymphs was allowed to feed on susceptible rice rats, rickettsial transmission was confirmed by seroconversion, indicating that there was successful horizontal transmission of R. parkeri SAR from infected nymphs to uninfected larvae in the previous acquisition infestations. Because we used naïve, susceptible rats, we infer that this horizontal transmission occurred via a systemic infection (rickettsemia) in the rat. Our results, coupled with previous epidemiological studies, suggest that under natural conditions rice rats could be acting as amplifying hosts of R. parkeri SAR to A. ovale ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe S Krawczak
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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25
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Rickettsia sp. Strain NOD Infecting Ticks ( Amblyomma nodosum) in an Endemic Area of Spotted Fever in Brazil. J Wildl Dis 2017; 54:406-409. [PMID: 29261444 DOI: 10.7589/2017-06-137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Amblyomma nodosum ticks were collected from one collared anteater ( Tamandua tetradactyla) in the Caatinga biome, Brazil. From one sample, we isolated a Rickettsia sp. that was phylogenetically close to Rickettsia sp. strain NOD, with 99.9, 100.0, and 99.8% identity for gltA, htrA, and ompA genes, respectively.
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Polsomboon S, Hoel DF, Murphy JR, Linton YM, Motoki M, Robbins RG, Bautista K, Bricen O I, Achee NL, Grieco JP, Ching WM, Chao CC. Molecular Detection and Identification of Rickettsia Species in Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected From Belize, Central America. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:1718-1726. [PMID: 28981693 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about tick-borne rickettsial pathogens in Belize, Central America. We tested ixodid ticks for the presence of Rickettsia species in three of the six northern and western Belizean districts. Ticks were collected from domestic animals and tick drags over vegetation in 23 different villages in November 2014, February 2015, and May 2015. A total of 2,506 collected ticks were identified to the following species: Dermacentor nitens Neumann (46.69%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) (19.55%), Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini) (19.47%), Amblyomma cajennense complex (9.74%), Amblyomma maculatum Koch (3.47%), Amblyomma ovale Koch (0.68%), Ixodes nr affinis (0.16%), Amblyomma nr maculatum (0.12%), and Amblyomma nr oblongoguttatum (0.12%). Ticks were pooled according to species, life stage (larva, nymph, or adult), and location (n = 509) for DNA extraction and screened for genus Rickettsia by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). All 42 positive pools were found to be positive for spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia in pools of A. cajennense complex (n = 33), A. maculatum (n = 4), A. nr maculatum (n = 1), A. ovale (n = 1), R. sanguineus (n = 1), and I. nr affinis (n = 2). Rickettsia amblyommatis was identified from A. cajennense complex and A. nr maculatum. Rickettsia parkeri was found in A. maculatum, and Rickettsia sp. endosymbiont was detected in I. nr affinis. The presence of infected ticks suggests a risk of tick-borne rickettsioses to humans and animals in Belize. This knowledge can contribute to an effective tick management and disease control program benefiting residents and travelers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suppaluck Polsomboon
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - David F Hoel
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Jittawadee R Murphy
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, MRC-534, Suitland, MD 20746
- Smithsonian Institution, Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
| | - Maysa Motoki
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, MRC-534, Suitland, MD 20746
- Department of Entomology, Institut Pasteur du Laos, Sisattanak District, PO Box 3560, Vientiane, Laos, PDR
| | - Richard G Robbins
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, MRC-534, Suitland, MD 20746
| | - Kim Bautista
- Ministry of Health, Vector Control Office, Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk, Belize
| | - Ireneo Bricen O
- Ministry of Health, Vector Control Office, Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk, Belize
- Belize Vector and Ecology Center (BVEC), Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk District, Belize
| | - Nicole L Achee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, 239 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - John P Grieco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, 239 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Wei-Mei Ching
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Infectious Disease Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Chien-Chung Chao
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Infectious Disease Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910
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27
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Silva AB, Duarte MM, da Costa Cavalcante R, de Oliveira SV, Vizzoni VF, de Lima Duré AÍ, de Melo Iani FC, Machado-Ferreira E, Gazêta GS. Rickettsia rickettsii infecting Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Latreille 1806), in high altitude atlantic forest fragments, Ceara State, Brazil. Acta Trop 2017; 173:30-33. [PMID: 28535905 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In Brazil, Spotted Fever (SF) is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic Forest. In recent years, several human cases of a milder SF have been reported from the Maciço de Baturité region of Ceará State. Previous studies in this region found R. parkeri strain Atlantic Forest to be present in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Amblyomma ovale ticks. The present study isolated and identified the Rickettsia spp. present in this new endemic area in Brazil. In March 2015, R. sanguineus s.l. and A. ovale were collected in rural areas of the Maciço de Baturité region, and subjected to the isolation technique. A bacterium was isolated from one R. sanguineus s.l., which phylogenetic analysis clustered to the R. rickettsii group. In conclusion, R. rickettsii bacteria is circulating in the studied area and may in future have an impact on the clinical diagnoses and consequently cause changes in the profile of the disease in the region. In addition, we suggest the increase of epidemiological and environmental surveillance in the area, in order to prevent Brazilian Spotted Fever cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arannadia Barbosa Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Brazil; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Brazil
| | - Myrian Morato Duarte
- Fundação Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Serviço de Virologia e Riquetsioses, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, Brazil
| | | | | | - Vinicius Figueiredo Vizzoni
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Brazil
| | - Ana Íris de Lima Duré
- Fundação Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Serviço de Virologia e Riquetsioses, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, Brazil
| | | | - Erik Machado-Ferreira
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Eucariontes e Simbiontes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Salles Gazêta
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Brazil; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/(FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Brazil.
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28
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Silva AB, Vizzoni VF, Costa AP, Costa FB, Moraes-Filho J, Labruna MB, Gazêta GS, de Maria Seabra Nogueira R. First report of a Rickettsia asembonensis related infecting fleas in Brazil. Acta Trop 2017; 172:44-49. [PMID: 28427962 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study was performed in a non-endemic area for spotted fever (SF) in Imperatriz microregion, state of Maranhão, Brazil. Blood samples and ectoparasites were collected from 300 dogs of the Imperatriz microregion. Canine serum samples were tested individually by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), using five Rickettsia isolates from Brazil. Antibodies reactive to at least one of the five species of Rickettsia were detected in 1.6% of the dogs (5/300). These sera were considered reactive to Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia amblyommatis or very closely related species. The ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Latreille), and the fleas, identified as Ctenocephalides felis, were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of rickettsial DNA. More than 78% (83/106) of the C. felis fleas were found to be infected with Rickettsia species using gltA as rickettsial PCR targets, whereas no evidence of Rickettsia spp. was found in R. sanguineus s. l. Genetic analysis based on genes gltA, htrA and ompB showed that the detected strain, is most closely related to Rickettsia asembonensis (formerly Candidatus Rickettsia asemboensis). The present study is the first report of a R. asembonensis related infecting C. felis fleas in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arannadia Barbosa Silva
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Figueiredo Vizzoni
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Andréa Pereira Costa
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil
| | - Francisco Borges Costa
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil
| | - Jonas Moraes-Filho
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Salles Gazêta
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rita de Maria Seabra Nogueira
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil.
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29
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Paddock CD, Allerdice MEJ, Karpathy SE, Nicholson WL, Levin ML, Smith TC, Becker T, Delph RJ, Knight RN, Ritter JM, Sanders JH, Goddard J. Unique Strain of Rickettsia parkeri Associated with the Hard Tick Dermacentor parumapertus Neumann in the Western United States. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:e03463-16. [PMID: 28213544 PMCID: PMC5394329 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03463-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1953, investigators at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, MT, described the isolation of a spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) species from Dermacentor parumapertus ticks collected from black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) in northern Nevada. Several decades later, investigators characterized this SFGR (designated the parumapertus agent) by using mouse serotyping methods and determined that it represented a distinct rickettsial serotype closely related to Rickettsia parkeri; nonetheless, the parumapertus agent was not further characterized or studied. To our knowledge, no isolates of the parumapertus agent remain in any rickettsial culture collection, which precludes contemporary phylogenetic placement of this enigmatic SFGR. To rediscover the parumapertus agent, adult-stage D. parumapertus ticks were collected from black-tailed jackrabbits shot or encountered as roadkills in Arizona, Utah, or Texas from 2011 to 2016. A total of 339 ticks were collected and evaluated for infection with Rickettsia species. Of 112 D. parumapertus ticks collected in south Texas, 16 (14.3%) contained partial ompA sequences with the closest identity (99.6%) to Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest Aa46, an SFGR that is closely related or identical to an SFGR species that causes a mild rickettsiosis in several states of Brazil. A pure isolate, designated strain Black Gap, was cultivated in Vero E6 cells, and sequence analysis of the rrs, gltA, sca0, sca5, and sca4 genes also revealed the closest genetic identity to Rickettsia sp. Atlantic rainforest Aa46. Phylogenetic analysis of the five concatenated rickettsial genes place Rickettsia sp. strain Black Gap and Rickettsia sp. Atlantic rainforest Aa46 with R. parkeri in a distinct and well-supported clade.IMPORTANCE We suggest that Rickettsia sp. Black Gap and Rickettsia sp. Atlantic rainforest Aa46 represent nearly identical strains of R. parkeri and that Rickettsia sp. Black Gap or a very similar strain of R. parkeri represents the parumapertus agent. The close genetic relatedness among these taxa, as well as the response of guinea pigs infected with the Black Gap strain, suggests that R. parkeri Black Gap could cause disease in humans. The identification of this organism could also account, at least in part, for the remarkable differences in severity ascribed to Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) among various regions of the American West during the early 20th century. We suggest that the wide variation in case fatality rates attributed to RMSF could have occurred by the inadvertent inclusion of cases of milder disease caused by R. parkeri Black Gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Michelle E J Allerdice
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - William L Nicholson
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Michael L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Travis C Smith
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, Alpine, Texas, USA
| | - Tom Becker
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Springville, Utah, USA
| | - Robert J Delph
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, United States Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA
| | - Robert N Knight
- Environmental Department, United States Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA
| | - Jana M Ritter
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jeanine H Sanders
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jerome Goddard
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, USA
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30
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de Oliveira SV, Willemann MCA, Gazeta GS, Angerami RN, Gurgel-Gonçalves R. Predictive Factors for Fatal Tick-Borne Spotted Fever in Brazil. Zoonoses Public Health 2017; 64:e44-e50. [PMID: 28169507 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In Brazil, two pathogenic Rickettsia species have been identified causing tick-borne spotted fever (SF). The aetiological agent Rickettsia rickettsii causes serious illness, particularly in the south-eastern region of the country. Moreover, the Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic Rainforest cause milder clinical manifestations in south-eastern, south and north-east regions. This study has sought to analyse predictive factors for fatal SF. A case-control study was performed using disease notification records in Brazil. The cases included were individuals with laboratory confirmation and fatal progression of SF, while the controls included individuals with SF who were cured. A total of 386 cases and 415 controls were identified (1 : 1.1), and the cases and controls were similar in age. The factors identified as being protective against death were reported presence of ticks (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-0.88), residing in urban areas (OR, 0.47, 95% CI, 0.31-0.74) and presenting lymphadenopathy (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23-0.82). Males exhibited a greater chance of death (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.13-2.18), as did patients who were hospitalized (OR, 10.82; 95% CI, 6.38-18.35) and who presented hypotension or shock (OR, 10.80; 95% CI, 7.33-15.93), seizures (OR, 11.24; 95% CI, 6.49-19.45) and coma (OR of 15.16; 95% CI, 8.51-27.02). The study demonstrates the severity profile of the SF cases, defined either as the frequency of hospitalization (even in cases that were cured) or as the increased frequency of the clinical complications typically found in critical patients. Opportune clinical diagnosis, a careful evaluation of the epidemiological aspects of the disease and adequate care for patients are determining factors for reducing SF fatality rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- S V de Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Tropical Medicine at the University of Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.,Health Surveillance Secretariat of the Ministry of Health, Brasília, DF, Brazil.,National Reference Laboratory for Rickettsial disease Vectors of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - M C A Willemann
- Department of Health Surveillance of the Secretariat of Health of Santa Catarina State, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - G S Gazeta
- National Reference Laboratory for Rickettsial disease Vectors of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - R N Angerami
- Clinical Hospital of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - R Gurgel-Gonçalves
- Medical Parasitology and Vector Biology Laboratory, University of Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
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