Abstract
The expansion of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) transmission areas in the interior of the state of São Paulo has been associated with the population expansion of capybaras, the main amplifying hosts of the etiological agent of BSF (Rickettsia rickettsii) for the tick vector Amblyomma sculptum. However, many areas with the presence of capybaras and A. sculptum remain free of R. rickettsii, …