Detection of Rickettsia tamurae-like and other spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) associated with wild birds in the Western Amazon, Brazil

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de Souza, Vanessa Lima ; Costa, Francisco Borges ; Martins, Thiago Fernandes ; de Oliveira, Patricia Rosa ; Lima, Jonatas ; Guimara, David Pedroza ; dos Santosb, Ednaira Alencar ; de Moura-Martiniano, Nicole Oliveira ; Sato, Tayra Pereira ; Borsoi, Ana Beatriz Pais ; Bitencourth, Karla ; Gazeta, Gilberto Salles ; Guilherme, Edson ; Santos, Francisco Glauco de Arujo

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES; v. 14, n. 4, p. 10-pg., 2023-04-24.

Resumo

Ticks are vectors for several pathogens, including bacteria belonging to the Rickettsia genus, such as Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri, the causative agents of spotted fever. The aim of the present study was to investigate the tick species richness and rickettsial agents associated with wild birds captured in the Humaita Forest Reserve, Acre, in the Western Amazon region. Wild birds were captured with ornithological nets for visual inspection with the purpose of collecting ticks, which were identified through morphological analyses and molecular tests for several genes (12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, gltA, ompA, and sca4). A total of 607 wild birds were captured, 12% of which were parasitized by 268 ticks of the Amblyomma genus, with new host-parasite associations reported for Amblyomma calcaratum, Amblyomma geayi, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma naponense, Amblyomma nodosum, and Amblyomma varium. Of the total ticks collected, 113 were tested for the presence of rickettsial DNA fragments, with 19 testing positive for R. parkeri in A. geayi, Rickettsia tamurae-like in Amblyomma sp., and Rickettsia amblyommatis in A. geayi, A. longirostre, and Amblyomma sp. We detected R. tamurae-like in Amblyomma larvae for the first time in the Western Brazilian Amazon biome, and registered spotted fever group rickettsiae, although the relevance of the detected species in a public health context should be further explored in South America, as well as new host-parasite interactions in this underexplored region. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 20/05987-1 - Chave taxonômica dicotômica e pictórica para larvas do gênero Amblyomma (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae) que ocorrem no Brasil, utilizando a microscopia óptica e eletrônica de varredura para descrição e redescrição morfológica do estágio larval
• Beneficiário: Thiago Fernandes Martins
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Jovens Pesquisadores
• Processo FAPESP: 19/03167-0 - Chave taxonômica dicotômica e pictórica para larvas do gênero Amblyomma (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae) que ocorrem no Brasil, utilizando a microscopia óptica e eletrônica de varredura para descrição e redescrição morfológica do estágio larval
• Beneficiário: Thiago Fernandes Martins
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Jovens Pesquisadores