1
|
Portela JM, Nava AFD, Batista HR, Martins TF, Muñoz-Leal S, da Silva MNF, Dias SR, Labruna MB, Minervino AHH. Ticks infesting terrestrial small mammals in a rural settlement in the Amazonas state, Brazil. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2024; 93:665-676. [PMID: 39088133 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-024-00950-3] [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: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
There is limited knowledge about tick diversity in the Amazon region. Here, we survey small terrestrial mammals for tick infestation at the Rio Pardo settlement, Amazonas State, Brazil. Sampling included rainy and dry seasons and four ecotones (primary forest, forest in regeneration, field crops and households). Each animal was inspected for ticks, which, if present, were placed in 70% alcohol and identified. Parasitological indexes were calculated and the presence/absence of ticks on hosts was tested for possible associations with independent variables (ecotone, host sex, host order, host family, host age and season). A total of 208 small mammals were captured, 47 individuals (10 species) in the primary forest, 124 (15 species) in the forest in regeneration, 11 (7 species) in the field crops, and 26 (4 species) in the households. A total of 14 small mammals were infested by ticks (overall prevalence: 6.7%; 95% CI: 3.72 - 11.04%), which consisted of 51 specimens that were identified into four species, as follows: Amblyomma humerale (32 nymphs); Ixodes luciae (6 females); Amblyomma coelebs (1 nymph); and Ornithodoros mimon (1 larva). In addition, 11 larvae were retained as Amblyomma spp. Only host order showed association (P = 0.002) with tick infestation, with marsupials 5.5 times more infested than rodents. Our record of O. mimon on D. marsupialis is the first on this host species, and the first record of a Argasidae tick in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that actively screened free-living terrestrial small mammals and provided data on prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance of tick infestations in the Brazilian Amazonas state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandra Ferreira Dales Nava
- Instituto Leonidas e Maria Deane - Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Infecciosas Transmissíveis na Amazônia - Núcleo PReV, Belem, Brazil
| | | | - Thiago F Martins
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sebastian Muñoz-Leal
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Salatiel Ribeiro Dias
- Laboratoy of Animal Health, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Belem, PA, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lee DAB, Barros-Battesti DM, Arantes PVC, Sada JM, Sanches GS, André MR, Lima VFS. First report of unusual case of parasitism by Amblyomma nodosum (Neumann, 1889) in a yellow cururu toad (Rhinella icterica) in the Northeastern Brazilian Caatinga. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA = BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY : ORGAO OFICIAL DO COLEGIO BRASILEIRO DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2024; 33:e005324. [PMID: 38958294 PMCID: PMC11253816 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612024031] [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: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The Amblyomma genus (Arachnida: Ixodidae) is widely distributed in South America, with 34 species occurring in Brazil. Amblyomma nodosum Neumann 1889 is a species that predominantly feeds on Passeriformes during immature stages (larvae and nymphs) and anteaters (Myrmecophagidae) during adult stages. The aim of the present study is to report, for the first time, an unusual case of parasitism by adults of A. nodosum on a yellow cururu toad (Rhinella icterica) captured in the city of Nossa Senhora da Glória, Sergipe state (Northeastern Brazil) in the Caatinga biome, and also investigate the presence of DNA of Rickettsia in the collected material. DNA was extracted from all specimens collected (N=8) and subjected to PCR assays based on the tick 16S rRNA endogenous gene and gltA gene for Rickettsia sp. All samples (8/8; 100%) were positive for the 16S rRNA endogenous gene and two amplicons (obtained from one male and one female) were purified and sequenced. The BLASTn analysis of the sequences revealed a high degree of similarity (95-100%) with A. nodosum sequences previously deposited on GenBank, while the phylogenetic analysis clustered the sequences obtained in the same clade as A. nodosum sequences from Brazil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Antônio Braga Lee
- Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução, e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias – FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti
- Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução, e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias – FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Paulo Vitor Cadina Arantes
- Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução, e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias – FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Jovêncio Mateus Sada
- Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução, e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias – FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Gustavo Seron Sanches
- Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução, e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias – FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução, e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias – FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Victor Fernando Santana Lima
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária do Sertão, Universidade Federal de Sergipe – UFS, Campus do Sertão, Nossa Senhora da Glória, SE, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ali A, Khan M, Alouffi A, Almutairi MM, Paguem A, Chitimia-Dobler L, Pienaar R, de Castro MH, Mans BJ. Description of a new tick species, closely related to Amblyomma javanense (Supino, 1897), associated with Varanus bengalensis (Squamata: Varanidae) in Pakistan. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102361. [PMID: 38880004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The genus Amblyomma contains the highest percentage of reptile-associated ticks, and comprises approximately nine subgenera. One of these subgenera is Adenopleura, which also encompasses Amblyomma javanense, and its type species Amblyomma compressum. This study describes a new Amblyomma species associated with Bengal monitor lizards (Varanus bengalensis) based on morphology and its mitogenome in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Reptiles belonging to different genera were examined for Amblyomma ticks and only the monitor lizard was infested with ticks in the District Bajaur. Collected Amblyomma cf. javanense ticks were analyzed and formally described as a new species. Overall, 57 A. cf. javanense ticks were collected on monitor lizards (4/27) with a 15% prevalence of infestation, 2.1 mean abundance, and 14.3 mean intensity. Ticks comprised males (n = 23, 40%), females (n = 14, 25%) and nymphs (n = 20, 35%), while no larvae were found. BLAST analysis of A. cf. javanense sequences showed the following maximum identities; 98.25% with undetermined Amblyomma species based on 12S rRNA, 96.07% with A. javanense based on 16S rRNA, 99.56% and 90.95% with an Amblyomma sp. and A. javanense, respectively, based on ITS2. Moreover, the mitochondrial genome of A. cf. javanense showed maximum identities of 80.75%, 80.48% and 79.42% with Amblyomma testudinarium, A. javanense, and Amblyomma sp., respectively. The phylogenetic analysis of A. cf. javanense revealed that its 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA are closely related to an Amblyomma sp. and A. javanense, respectively, from Sri Lanka, its ITS2 is closely related to A. javanense from China and an Amblyomma sp. from Sri Lanka, and its mitogenome is closely related to A. javanense and Amblyomma sp. from China. The pairwise distance analysis resulted in divergence of 0-1.71% (12S rRNA), 0-17.5% (16S rRNA), 0-9.1% (ITS2) and 0-20.5% (mitochondrial genome). We also contributed the full-length mitochondrial genome sequence of A. compressum and showed that this species does not share a most recent common ancestor with A. javanense. As the subgenus Adenopleura is paraphyletic, this study could help to understand the systematics and phylogeny of this taxon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.
| | - Mehran Khan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashal M Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Archile Paguem
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
- Rickettsiology and Virology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich 80937, Germany; Infection and Pandemic Research, Fraunhofer Institute of Immunology, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Minique H de Castro
- The Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council-Biotechnology Platform, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa; Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang B, Wang X, Aguli Nurland R, Lu M, Guan Y, Liu M, Gao F, Li K. Investigation of tick-borne bacterial microorganisms in Haemaphysalis ticks from Hebei, Shandong, and Qinghai provinces, China. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102290. [PMID: 38070273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102290] [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: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Tick-borne microorganisms in many tick species and many areas of China are still not thoroughly investigated. In this study, 224 ticks including two species (Haemaphysalis longicornis and Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis) were collected from four cities in Hebei, Shandong, and Qinghai provinces, China. Ticks were screened for the presence of tick-borne bacterial microorganisms including Rickettsia, Anaplasmataceae (Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neoehrlichia, etc.), Coxiella, Borrelia, and Bartonella. Two Anaplasma species (Anaplasma ovis and Anaplasma capra) were detected in H. longicornis from Xingtai City of Hebei Province, with a positive rate of 3 % and 8 %, respectively. A Coxiella species was detected in H. longicornis ticks from all three locations in Hebei and Shandong provinces, with the positive rate ranging from 30 to 75 %. All the 16S and rpoB sequences were very similar (99.77-100 % identity) to Coxiella endosymbiont of Haemaphysalis ticks. An Ehrlichia species was detected in H. qinghaiensis (6/66, 9 %) from Xining City, Qinghai Province. The 16S and groEL sequences had 100 % and 97.40-97.85 % nucleotide identities to "Candidatus Ehrlichia pampeana" strains, respectively, suggesting that it may be a variant of "Candidatus Ehrlichia pampeana". All the ticks were negative for Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Bartonella. Because all the ticks were removed from goats or humans and were partially or fully engorged, it is possible that the microorganisms were from the blood meal but not vectored by the ticks. Our results may provide some information on the diversity and distribution of tick-borne pathogens in China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhang
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Endemic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi City 830011, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Xinjiang 474 Hospital, China RongTong Medical Healthcare Group CO.LTD, Urumqi City 830000, China
| | - Rewuzi Aguli Nurland
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Endemic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi City 830011, China
| | - Miao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping District, Beijing City 102206, China
| | - Yaqun Guan
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Endemic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi City 830011, China
| | - Mengyun Liu
- Xinjiang 474 Hospital, China RongTong Medical Healthcare Group CO.LTD, Urumqi City 830000, China
| | - Fan Gao
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Endemic Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi City 830011, China
| | - Kun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping District, Beijing City 102206, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tojal SD, da Costa IN, Aguirre ADAR, Martins TF, Labruna MB, Meneguetti DUDO, Bernarde PS, da Cruz KS, Lima JM, Prolo SL, Camargo LMDA. Parasitism by Amblyomma rotundatum on Teiidae lizards in the eastern part of the state of Acre, Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA = BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY : ORGAO OFICIAL DO COLEGIO BRASILEIRO DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2023; 32:e004923. [PMID: 37672468 PMCID: PMC10503821 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023050] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to report on the occurrence of parasitism by Amblyomma rotundatum ticks on two species of Teiidae lizards and test the presence of rickettsiae in the collected ticks, in the western Brazilian Amazon region. Ticks were collected in July 2019, from a fragment of terra firme forest in the municipality of Senador Guiomard, Acre, Brazil. Two lizards that were infested by immature stages of ticks were caught using mist net and Tomahawk traps. Ectoparasites were collected manually, and the lizard specimens were identified and released at the same location where they had been caught. Three nymphs and 49 larvae were collected from Ameiva ameiva, while 25 nymphs and nine larvae were collected from Tupinambis cuzcoensis, which are both in the family Teiidae. The ticks were identified morphologically as belonging to the genus Amblyomma. Nymphs were identified at species level through molecular analysis, resulting in the tick species Amblyomma rotundatum. This is the first record of parasitism by the tick A. rotundatum on T. cuzcoensis lizard, and the first report of an association between A. rotundatum and the lizard species A. ameiva and T. cuzcoensis in Acre, in the western part of the Amazon region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Delgado Tojal
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal São João del-Rei – UFSJ, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
- Laboratório de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Ivaneide Nunes da Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz de Rondônia – Fiocruz/RO, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz de Rondônia – Fiocruz/RO, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
| | | | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Laboratórios Especializados, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo – SUCEN, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo – FMVZ/USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo – FMVZ/USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira Meneguetti
- Laboratório de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Paulo Sérgio Bernarde
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brasil
| | - Karoline Silva da Cruz
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Jônatas Machado Lima
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Sergio Luiz Prolo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Inovação e Tecnologia para a Amazônia – PPGCITA, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil
| | - Luís Marcelo de Aranha Camargo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal São João del-Rei – UFSJ, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo – ICB5/USP, Monte Negro, RO, Brasil
- Instituto Nacional de Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental – INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
- Centro de Pesquisas em Medicina Tropical – CEPEM, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
- Departamento de Medicina, Centro Universitário FAEMA, RO, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Richardson EA, Roe RM, Apperson CS, Ponnusamy L. Rickettsia amblyommatis in Ticks: A Review of Distribution, Pathogenicity, and Diversity. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020493. [PMID: 36838458 PMCID: PMC9960904 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia amblyommatis is a potentially pathogenic species of Rickettsia within the spotted fever group vectored by ticks. While many studies have been published on this species, there is debate over its pathogenicity and the inhibitory role it plays in diagnosing illnesses caused by other spotted fever group Rickettsia species. Many publications have recorded the high infection prevalence of R. amblyommatis in tick populations at a global scale. While this species is rather ubiquitous, questions remain over the epidemiological importance of this possible human pathogen. With tick-borne diseases on the rise, understanding the exact role that R. amblyommatis plays as a pathogen and inhibitor of infection relative to other tick-borne pathogens will help public health efforts. The goal of this review was to compile the known literature on R. amblyommatis, review what we know about its geographic distribution, tick vectors, and pathogenicity, assess relatedness between various international strains from ticks by phylogenetic analysis and draw conclusions regarding future research needed.
Collapse
|