Detection and identification of rickettsial agents in ticks from domestic mammals in eastern Panama.

The research paper presents the detection and identification of bacteria known as rickettsial agents in ticks from domestic animals in eastern Panama. This study is conducted in response to the outbreaks of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in nearby Colombian communities and attempts to collect and analyze data about rickettsial diseases in the under-studied areas of the Darien Province and the Kuna Yala in Eastern Panama.

Methodology

• The researchers collected 289 ticks from various domestic animals including dogs, horses, mules, cows, and pigs in 2007.
• The DNA was extracted from the collected ticks which belonged to multiple species.
• The presence of spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) and Anaplasmataceae (Anaplasma and Ehrlichia) was detected using SYBR-Green polymerase chain reaction assays.
• The targeted fragment of the OmpA and 16S rRNA genes were analyzed to further confirm the presence of these rickettsial agents.

Findings

• 37.4% of the ticks tested positive for SFGR. The prevalence varied among different species of ticks.
• The presence of Rickettsia amblyommii DNA was confirmed in five different species of ticks.
• Only one tick (Dermacentor nitens) collected from a horse in Santa Fe, Darien Province was found to contain R. rickettsii DNA.
• The prevalence of Anaplasmataceae varied from species to species, from 6.3% in R. sanguineus to 26.5% in A. cajennense.
• Six ticks – three D. nitens and three A. cajennense – collected from horses had DNA of Ehrlichia chaffensis.

Significance

This research paper provides the first molecular characterization of SFGR in ticks from the Darien Province and the Kuna Yala, thus providing valuable data about the risk of rickettsial diseases in these regions. It helps understand the prevalence and distribution of rickettsial agents in ticks, which can be crucial for future evaluations related to the risk of rickettsial diseases for individuals living in this region.