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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Epidemiology of Brazilian spotted fever in the Atlantic Forest, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

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Author(s):
Ogrzewalska, Maria [1] ; Saraiva, Danilo G. [1] ; Moraes-Filho, Jonas [1] ; Martins, Thiago F. [1] ; Costa, Francisco B. [1] ; Pinter, Adriano [2] ; Labruna, Marcelo B. [1]
Total Authors: 7
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Med Vet Prevent & Saude Anim, Fac Med Vet & Zootenia, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Superintendencia Controle Endemias Sucen, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Parasitology; v. 139, n. 10, p. 1283-1300, SEP 2012.
Web of Science Citations: 59
Abstract

The tick-borne bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii is the aetiological agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF). The present study evaluated tick infestations on wild and domestic animals, and the rickettsial infection in these animals and their ticks in 7 forest areas adjacent to human communities in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA). The results were compared to ecological traits of each sampled area. Two main tick species, Amblyomma aureolatum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus, were collected from dogs. The major ticks found on small mammals and birds were Ixodes loricatus and Amblyomma longirostre, respectively. Both anti-R. rickettsii antibodies and R. rickettsii-infected ticks were detected on dogs from only 2 areas in the southern part of the SPMA, which were considered to be endemic for BSF; the remaining 5 areas were considered to be non-endemic. Ecologically, the BSF-endemic areas clearly differed from the non-endemic areas by the presence of significantly more degraded forest patches in the former. The present results corroborate historical observations that have indicated that all human cases of BSF in the SPMA were contracted in the southern part of this metropolitan area. However, not all forest patches in the southern part of the SPMA were shown to be associated with BSF endemism. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 09/52892-7 - Ecology of Brazilian spotted fever in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo: evaluation of Rickettsia rickettsii infection in wild and domestic animals as well as in the tick vector Amblyomma aureolatum
Grantee:Maria Halina Ogrzewalska
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral