USE OF OZONIZED SUNFLOWER OIL TO COMBAT OF VECTORES TICKS OF THE BRAZILIAN SPOTTED FEVER IN NATURAL AREAS

• Grant number: 19/06299-4
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): December 15, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal researcher: Livia Helena Moreira da Silva Melo
• Grantee: Gislene Fátima da Silva Rocha Fournier
• Home Institution: Escola de Ciências Exatas, Arquitetura e Design. Universidade Anhembi Morumbi (UAM). Instituto Superior de Comunicação Publicitária (ISCP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

USE OF OZONIZED SUNFLOWER OIL TO COMBAT OF VECTORES TICKS OF THE BRAZILIAN SPOTTED FEVER IN NATURAL AREASAmblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum are ticks that have great medical and veterinary importance as transmitters of Brazilian Spotted Fever. The existing difficulties in controlling A. sculptum and A. dubitatum include the resistance development to some synthetic chemical acaricides, the main products used in their control, and to the control of these in natural areas so as not to contaminate soil and water. In this way, studies for the development of more efficient alternative measures and of less environmental impact are of extreme importance for the public health. Among the strategies studied, the use of ozone to eliminate ticks seems to be an efficient and safe option. The objective of this work is to evaluate the efficiency of using ozonized sunflower oil in A. sculptum and A. dubitatum uninfected specimens and experimentally infected with Rickettsia rickettsii. In the laboratory, these parasites will be identified, washed with sterile water and placed in Petri dishes. They will be separated between females, males and stage of life and will be then submitted to the test with ozonized sunflower oil. In addition, formulations and applications of ozonized sunflower oil will be evaluated under semi-field conditions and in a natural area where the persistence studied in the soil will be measured. Adult individuals will be collected in free living and / or from natural hosts, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, from areas that have never received treatment with acaricides. Oily suspensions in different concentrations of ozone will be prepared and, with the aid of a spray device, will be applied directly to the soil in laboratory conditions infested with individuals of A. sculptum and A. dubitatum in their different stages of life. Considering the use of this product in natural areas, two sampling points will be selected for application of the product in soil, and one of the sampling points will be the control area, which will correspond to the same parameters of the experiment point. This process will be carried out during dry and rainy season, considering the seasonality of the parasites studied. In the ozone efficiency test, A. sculptum and A. dubitatum teleogines will be evaluated for posture and survival conditions for posture. The development of eggs, hatching and survival of larvae will also be evaluated after the application of ozone in different concentrations. The hypothesis is that the ozone formulation based on sunflower oil can be used in the preparation of concentrates, being used as a new strategy to control ticks in natural areas where the risk of Brazilian Spotted Fever is present.