Investigation of the presence and characterization of the bacteria Bartonella in macronissid mites (Acari: Macronyssidae) parasites of bats from Brazil

• Grant number: 23/09336-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: March 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Bassini Silva
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda Moraes das Chagas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Macronyssidae family is very little studied in Brazil, and some species of this family are known to cause dermatitis in their hosts. Despite this, there are some researchers who have observed that these mites can be potential vectors of different pathogens. However, the role of these mites in the epidemiology of these pathogens has not yet been confirmed. The present study proposes a detailed study of the identification of these mites deposited in the largest Brazilian acarological collection and, concomitantly, a molecular study with the material from the tissue bank of this collection. This material will be examined and subjected to DNA extraction, as well as the investigation of the presence of bacteria of the genus Bartonella, through real-time PCR assays, and in order to characterize the obtained strains, we will use conventional PCR and, in the end, phylogenetic analysis. Finally, our proposal will contemplate the study of these parasitic mites of bats in Brazil, neglected for years, since macronyssid mites can bite humans, and have already presented evidence of being possible vectors of pathogens.