Rickettsia infection in equines and species of tick vectors of Brazilian Spotted Fever in the Piracicaba River Basin, State of São Paulo

• Grant number: 12/02447-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Epidemiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Rita Donalisio Cordeiro
• Grantee: Luciana Bonato de Camargo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is an acute infectious disease, which etiologic agent is known as Rickettsia rickettsii, a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium and transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. Several wild and domestic animals play a crucial role in the epidemiology of spotted fever by developing temporary rickettsemia, allowing the infection of new generations of ticks and also serving as a dispersal vector for peri-domestic, domestic animals and humans. This study will investigate the diversity of Amblyomma species potentially associated to the spotted fever, as well as their rickettsia infection in areas of known transmission and in areas without transmission, in the Piracicaba river basin, state of São Paulo. It will also be conducted a serological survey of horses using indirect immunofluorescence for antigens of various species of rickettsia (R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. amblyommii, R. felis, R. bellii and R. rhipichefalus) in study sites. It is expected to investigate the diversity of species of ticks transmitting BSF and their rickettsia infection. In addition the seropositivity in horses in the study sites. The seropositivity in areas of study will be compared and we will study the role of horses as sentinels of human transmission in both regions. These results will contribute with an investigation of environmental factors associated with the BSF in the study region, CNPq process: 472573/2011-0. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

SOUZA, CELSO EDUARDO; CAMARGO, LUCIANA BONATO; PINTER, ADRIANO; DONALISIO, MARIA RITA. High Seroprevalence for Rickettsia rickettsii in Equines Suggests Risk of Human Infection in Silent Areas for the Brazilian Spotted Fever. PLoS One, v. 11, n. 4, APR 11 2016. (12/02447-0)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

CAMARGO, Luciana Bonato de. Rickettsial serapositivity in horses and tick vectors species of brasilian spotted fever in the Piracicaba river basin, state of São Paulo. 2014. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Campinas, SP.