Investigation of the presence of bacteria of the family Anaplasmataceae Philip 1957 in macronyssid mites (Acari: Macronyssidae) and chigger (Acari: Trombiculidae) parasites of bats in Brazil

• Grant number: 23/06878-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Bassini Silva
• Grantee: Victor de Souza Mello Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The acarofauna associated with bats in Brazil is very little studied, regarding to the taxonomy, systematics and parasite-host association. The Trombiculidae and Macronyssidae families stand out in order to the parasitism in these animals and their possible importance as potential vectors of pathogens. Chigger mites have about 70 species recorded for Brazil. Of these, only eight have been found parasitizing bats, while of the 26 species of macronyssids identified for the country, 15 of them were collected in the same host. Despite the importance of these families, the role of these mites in the epidemiology of pathogens has not yet been confirmed. Thus, in the present work we propose a molecular study in macronyssid and trombiculid mites associated with bats for a possible detection of pathogens, especially for the Anaplasmataceae family.