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Szabó MPJ, Queiroz CL, Suzin A, Rodrigues VDS, Vieira RBK, Martins MM, Rezende LM, Sousa ACP, Ramos VDN, Muraro FM, Fernandes LK, Santos LCM, Maia RDC, Rezende AF. Density and behavior of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum with notes on Rickettsia bellii infection: Assessing human exposure risk. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102330. [PMID: 38460340 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
In several urban and peri‑urban areas of Brazil, populations of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum ticks are maintained by capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). In some of these areas, this host and these tick species are associated with Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), a lethal human disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. In this work, we evaluated the risk of human exposure to these tick species using four collection techniques to discern host-seeking behavior. The study was carried out in 10 urban sites inhabited by capybaras in Uberlândia, a BSF-free municipality in southeastern Brazil. Ticks were collected in areas of 400 m2 at each site and at three seasons. Within the same municipality, the distance and speed of A. sculptum nymphs moving towards the CO2 traps were evaluated. In a sample of ticks Rickettsia DNA was investigated. During the study period, 52,953 ticks were collected. Among these, 83.4 % were A. sculptum (1,523 adults, 10,545 nymphs and 32,104 larvae) and 16.6 % were A. dubitatum (464 adults, 2,153 nymphs and 6,164 larvae). An average annual questing tick density of 4.4/m² was observed, with the highest density recorded at one site in autumn (31.8/m²) and the lowest in summer at another site (0.03/m²). The visual search yielded the highest proportion of A. sculptum larvae, constituting 47 % of the total and 63.6 % of all A. sculptum larvae. In contrast, CO2 traps collected a greater proportion of nymphs and adults of A. sculptum ticks. In the case of A. dubitatum, the CO2 trap was the most efficient technique with 57.7 % of captures of this species, especially of nymphs (94.5 % of captures) and adults (97.8 % of captures). Ticks' ambush height on vegetation (9 to 77 cm), observed by visual search 30 times, yielded a total of 20,771 ticks. Of these, 28 (93 %) were A. sculptum ticks, with only two (7 %) identified as A. dubitatum ticks. Among A. sculptum ticks, the nymph was the most attracted stage to humans and larva in the case of A. dubitatum. Amblyomma sculptum adults and nymphs were significantly more attracted to humans than those of A. dubitatum, but A. dubitatum larvae were significantly more attracted than the same stage of A. sculptum. The maximum distance and speed of horizontal displacement for A. sculptum nymphs were five meters and 2.0 m/h, respectively. The only species of Rickettsia detected in ticks, exclusively in A. dubitatum, was R. bellii. Importantly, it was observed that the higher the proportion of A. sculptum in the community of ticks, the lower the rate of infection of A. dubitatum by R. bellii. In conclusion, host-seeking behavior differed between the two tick species, as well as between stages of the same species. A greater restriction of A. dubitatum ticks to the soil was observed, while larvae and nymphs of A. sculptum dispersed higher in the vegetation. The behavior presented by A. sculptum provides greater opportunities for contact with the hosts, while A. dubitatum depends more on an active search for a host, the hunter behavior. Taken together, these observations show that a human being crossing an area infested with A. sculptum and A. dubitatum ticks will have almost exclusive contact with A. sculptum larvae and/or nymphs. Humans in a stationary position (sitting, lying or immobile) are exposed to both tick species, but they are more attractive to adults and mainly nymphs of A. sculptum compared to the corresponding stages of the tick A. dubitatum. The negative effect of A. sculptum on A. dubitatum infection by R. bellii deserves further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias P J Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Caroline Lopes Queiroz
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Adriane Suzin
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vinicius da Silva Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raíssa Brauner Kamla Vieira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Clínica e Reprodução, Animal da Universidade Federal Fluminense. Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria Marlene Martins
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lais Miguel Rezende
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina P Sousa
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vanessa do Nascimento Ramos
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Marinho Muraro
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lais Keocheguerian Fernandes
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lorena C M Santos
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo da Costa Maia
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Amanda Ferreira Rezende
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Polli MG, Martins MM, Rodrigues VDS, Rezende LM, Suzin A, Maia RDC, Souza ACP, Muñoz-Leal S, Szabó MPJ, Yokosawa J. Molecular detection of Borrelia sp. in Ornithodoros cavernicolous (Acari: Argasidae) in midwestern Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102303. [PMID: 38113807 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are obligate hematophagous parasites that can transmit to vertebrate hosts several pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths. Among these agents, some Borrelia species some Borrelia species cause disease in humans and other vertebrate hosts; therefore, they have medical and veterinary health importance. To gather additional information on Borrelia species in Brazil, the current study aimed to detect the presence of these species in Ornithodoros cavernicolous ticks collected in September 2019 from cement pipes that are used by bats as shelter in a farm located in the midwestern region of Brazil. DNA samples obtained from 18 specimens of O. cavernicolous were subjected of two polymerase chain reactions, targeting a segment of the Borrelia fla B gene. Of the samples tested, only one (6 %, 1/18) showed amplification. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified DNA showed more than 97 % (293/300) identity with a sequence of a Borrelia sp. detected in blood collected from a bat from Macaregua Cave, Colombia, and more than 97 % (292/300) detected in lungs from vampire bats from northeastern Brazil. The deduced amino acid sequences were identical to each other. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these sequences formed a group of Borrelia species (putatively associated with bats) that is closely related to sequences of Borrelia species of the Lyme borreliosis group. Further investigations should be carried out in order to determine whether the sequence of the Borrelia sp. we found belongs to a new taxon. It will also be of great importance to determine which vertebrate hosts, besides bats, O. cavernicolous ticks can parasitize in order to investigate whether the Borrelia sp. we found may be transmitted and cause disease to the other vertebrate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayara Garcia Polli
- Laboratory of Microorganisms of Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICBIM), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Applied Immunology and Parasitology, UFU, ICBIM, Brazil
| | - Maria Marlene Martins
- Laboratory of Ixodology (LabIx), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FAMEV), UFU, Brazil
| | - Vinicius da Silva Rodrigues
- Post-Graduation Program in Applied Immunology and Parasitology, UFU, ICBIM, Brazil; Laboratory of Ixodology (LabIx), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FAMEV), UFU, Brazil
| | - Lais Miguel Rezende
- Laboratory of Ixodology (LabIx), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FAMEV), UFU, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Veterinary Sciences, UFU, FAMEV, Brazil
| | - Adriane Suzin
- Laboratory of Ixodology (LabIx), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FAMEV), UFU, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology and Conservation of Natural Resources, Instituto de Biologia, UFU, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo da Costa Maia
- Post-Graduation Program in Applied Immunology and Parasitology, UFU, ICBIM, Brazil; Laboratory of Ixodology (LabIx), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FAMEV), UFU, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Prado Souza
- Post-Graduation Program in Applied Immunology and Parasitology, UFU, ICBIM, Brazil; Laboratory of Ixodology (LabIx), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FAMEV), UFU, Brazil
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Ñuble, Chile
| | | | - Jonny Yokosawa
- Laboratory of Microorganisms of Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICBIM), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Brazil.
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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. Exp Appl Acarol 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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