Investigation of the occurrence and identification of Rickettsia in chigger mites (Acari: Trombidiformes) ectoparasites of birds in Brazil

• Grant number: 24/15068-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Bassini Silva
• Grantee: Giovana Giacomini do Nascimento
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chigger mites are parasites of vertebrates and can cause a skin reaction in the host, known as trombiculiasis. In Brazil, there are more than 70 known species, of which only eight parasitize birds. Due to the parasitic behavior of these larvae, some species in the Asia-Pacific region act as vectors of the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, which causes the disease called tsutsugamushi, a human rickettsiosis. In addition to this bacterium, other microorganisms such as Borrelia, Coxiella, Hepatozoon and Rickettsia have also been detected in these mites. In Brazil, little is known about the relationship between these mites and such microorganisms. So far, only two records indicate the presence of Rickettsia felis-like in a species of trombiculid in birds. Therefore, this work aims to monitor the presence of pathogens in trombiculid mites parasitic on birds, highlighting the importance of investigating Rickettsia in this group of mites in Brazil. (AU)