Chigger mites (Acari: Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae) parasites of vertebrates: morphological studies and investigation of the presence of Rickettsia spp.

• Grant number: 19/19853-0
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: December 01, 2020 - November 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine
• Principal researcher: Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius
• Grantee: Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius
• Home Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti ; Marcelo Bahia Labruna ; Sebastián Alejandro Munoz Leal ; Valeria Castilho Onofrio

Abstract

Chigger mites are the common name of the larval stage of mites in the family Trombiculidae s. l. that parasitic vertebrates and during parasitism, can cause a skin reaction in the host, known as trombiculiasis. In Brazil, 69 species are known and in many of them are one only record for locality and the host. In Asia-Pacific region, some species of chiggers are vectors of tsutsugamushi, a human rickettsiosis, caused by the bacterium Orientia tsusugamushi. In addition, the presence of some pathogens (Borrelia, Coxiella, Hepatozoon and Rickettsia) has been detected in chigger mites in various parts of the world . For Brazil, Ricekttsia felis-like was detected in the Blankaartia sinnamaryi mite collected parasitizing bird, as well as Ricekttsia sp. was found in three chiggers species collected from rodents in São Paulo state. In the Neotropical region, chiggers are poorly studied and there are gaps in taxonomy, biodiversity and host association. National and international collections will be consulted and specimens preserved in tissue banks will be examined for pathogen detection testing and sequences generated will be deposited in gene banks. Considering the lack of knowledge of the distribution and species that occur in this country of continental dimensions, and that there are indications of the possibility of larvae to participate in the transmission of pathogens, the investigative analysis of Rickettsia in this group of mites in Brazil is relevant. (AU)

Scientific publications

(11)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; HUANG-BASTOS, MATHEUS; WELBOURN, CAL; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO. Description of Goffacarus n. gen., to Reallocate the Species Euschoengastia latchmani Brennan and Yunker and Euschoengastia obscura Wrenn and Loomis (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae). ACTA PARASITOLOGICA, v. 66, n. 4, p. 1448-1457, DEC 2021. (20/11755-6, 17/01416-7, 18/24667-8, 19/19853-0)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; HUANG-BASTOS, MATHEUS; MORAIS, DRAUSIO HONORIO; ALCANTARA, EDNA PAULINO; AVILA, ROBSON WALDEMAR; WELBOURN, CAL; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO. A new species of Hannemania Oudemans, 1911 (Trombidiformes: Leeuwenhoekiidae) from Brazil. Journal of Natural History, v. 55, n. 19-20, p. 1277-1287, MAY 19 2021. (20/11755-6, 18/24667-8, 17/01416-7, 19/19853-0)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; HUANG-BASTOS, MATHEUS; WELBOURN, CAL; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO. New Species of Elianella Vercammen-Grandjean (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) from the Insular Equatorial Guinea with a Key to the Species into this Genu. ACTA PARASITOLOGICA, v. 66, n. 3, p. 997-1002, SEP 2021. (19/19853-0, 18/24667-8, 17/01416-7)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO; WELBOURN, CAL; HUANG-BASTOS, MATHEUS; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES. Taxonomic notes on Neoschoengastia esorhina Brennan, 1971 (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae), a chigger species from Brazil. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACAROLOGY, v. 47, n. 2, FEB 2021. (17/01416-7, 19/19853-0, 18/24667-8)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; HUANG-BASTOS, M.; WELBOURN, C.; OCHOA, R.; BARROS-BATTESTI, D. M.; JACINAVICIUS, F. C.. Batmanacarus robini, n. gen., n. sp. (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) collected parasitizing a ghost-faced bat (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae) from a cave in Trinidad and Tobago. Systematic Parasitology, v. 98, n. 3, MAR 2021. (17/01416-7, 19/19853-0, 18/24667-8)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; HUANG-BASTOS, MATHEUS; OCONNOR, BARRY M.; KLIMOV, PAVEL; WELBOURN, CAL; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO. A new species of Boshkerria and redescription of B. punctata (Boshell and Kerr) (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACAROLOGY, v. 47, n. 4, p. 308-316, MAY 19 2021. (19/19853-0, 18/24667-8, 17/01416-7)

RICARDO BASSINI-SILVA; FERNANDO DE CASTRO JACINAVICIUS; MATHEUS HUANG-BASTOS; AKSA INGRID VIEIRA BATISTA; NATHÁLIA CAROLINE SOUZA DA SILVA; THIAGO FERREIRA LOPES NERY; JOSIVANIA SOARES PEREIRA; CAL WELBOURN; RON OCHOA; DARCI MORAES BARROS-BATTESTI. Primeiro registro de Blankaartia sinnamaryi (Floch & Fauran, 1956) (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) parasitando uma coruja-listrada no Nordeste do Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária, v. 30, n. 3, 2021-05-24. (19/19853-0, 18/24667-8, 17/01416-7)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO; HUANG-BASTOS, MATHEUS; VIEIRA BATISTA, AKSA INGRID; SOUZA DA SILVA, NATHALIA CAROLINE; LOPES NERY, THIAGO FERREIRA; PEREIRA, JOSIVANIA SOARES; WELBOURN, CAL; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES. First record of Blankaartia sinnamaryi (Floch & Fauran, 1956) (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) parasitizing the striped owl in Northeastern Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA, v. 30, n. 3, 2021. (19/19853-0, 17/01416-7, 18/24667-8)

BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO; TAKATSU, JULIA CARVALHO; BERMUDEZ, SERGIO E.; MIRANDA, ROBERTO J.; WELBOURN, CAL; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO. checklist of chiggers (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae) of Panam. ACAROLOGIA, OCT 2021. (19/19853-0, 18/24667-8, 21/02295-4, 20/11755-6)

BASSINI-SILVA, R.; TAKATSU, J. C.; PEINADO, L. C.; FAXINA, C.; MOREIRA-LIMA, L.; FISCHER, E.; HINGST-ZAHER, E.; SANTOS, J. C.; MORAES, G. J.; DOWLING, A. P. G.; et al. Mites (Mesostigmata: Melicharidae) associated with hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae) in Brazil. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACAROLOGY, v. 47, n. 8, OCT 2021. (21/02295-4, 20/11755-6, 19/19853-0, 18/24667-8, 17/01416-7)

JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDO DE CASTRO; HUANG-BASTOS, MATHEUS; WELBOURN, CAL; OCHOA, RON; BARROS-BATTESTI, DARCI MORAES; BASSINI-SILVA, RICARDO. Contribution to the Taxonomy and Host-Relations of the Genus Serratacarus (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, v. 58, n. 4, p. 1717-1724, JUL 2021. (18/24667-8, 19/19853-0, 17/01416-7)