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Ticks and tick-borne diseases2018; 9(4); 819-823; doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.03.006

Detection of Rickettsia spp. in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of domestic animals in Colombia.

Abstract: Rickettsiosis are emerging or re-emerging diseases, with a worldwide distribution associated to transmission by arthropod vectors. Rickettsia species belong to the spotted fever group (SFG) and are transmitted by hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) that may act as vectors and reservoirs. This study carried out a molecular detection of Rickettsia from 7 species of the family Ixodidae collected from domestic hosts by PCR amplification of fragments of the citrate synthase "gltA" gene and outer membrane protein "ompA" gene. Of the 204 samples analyzed, 11.3% (23) were positive for rickettsial infection. Three Rickettsia species belonging to the SFG were found, constituting the first reports of Rickettsia rickettsii in 2 departments of Colombia. Furthermore, we confirmed the first occurrence of Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae in Colombia, a species with an unknown pathogenic role in humans. These results raise awareness regarding the need to increase epidemiological control measures, as well as to consider new endemic regions in Colombia for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2018-03-09 PubMed ID: 29550216DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.03.006Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research paper focuses on the detection of a group of bacterium known as Rickettsia in ticks found on domestic animals in Colombia. The study discovered that several species of these bacteria, which cause Rickettsiosis, are present in the country, highlighting a need for increased control measures.

Background of the Study

  • The research focuses on Rickettsia species, a kind of bacteria that belong to the spotted fever group (SFG). These bacteria are transmitted by hard ticks that belong to the family Ixodidae.
  • Rickettsiosis refers to a group of diseases caused by Rickettsia species. The infections are emerging or re-emerging, and they have a worldwide distribution. Infections are typically associated with arthropod vectors like ticks.

Methodology

  • The bacteria were detected using a molecular method, namely polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, which amplifies segments of the citrate synthase “gltA” gene and the outer membrane protein “ompA” gene. This helped in identifying the presence of the bacteria in the tick samples.
  • A total of 204 samples from 7 species of ticks found on domestic animals in Colombia were analyzed during this study.

Findings

  • Out of the total samples analyzed, 11.3% were found to be infected with Rickettsia species.
  • The study discovered three Rickettsia species belonging to the SFG. This included the first reports of Rickettsia rickettsii in two departments of Colombia.
  • The study also confirmed the presence of a species called Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae, marking its first occurrence in Colombia but its potential to cause disease in humans is still unknown.

Implications

  • The study findings bring to light a need to increase epidemiological control measures within Colombia to prevent the potential spread of Rickettsiosis in the country.
  • Moreover, these results suggest that new regions within Colombia could potentially become endemic for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), which is an infectious disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii.

Cite This Article

APA
Rivera-Páez FA, Martins TF, Ossa-López PA, Sampieri BR, Camargo-Mathias MI. (2018). Detection of Rickettsia spp. in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of domestic animals in Colombia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis, 9(4), 819-823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.03.006

Publication

Ticks and tick-borne diseases
ISSN: 1877-9603
NlmUniqueID: 101522599
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 4
Pages: 819-823
PII: S1877-959X(17)30478-8

Researcher Affiliations

Rivera-Páez, Fredy A
  • Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24-A, 1515, Bairro Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, CEP13506-900, Brazil; Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10 Apartado Aéreo 275 Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. Electronic address: fredy.rivera@ucaldas.edu.co.
Martins, Thiago F
  • Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP 05508-000, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Ossa-López, Paula A
  • Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10 Apartado Aéreo 275 Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
Sampieri, Bruno Rodrigues
  • Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Museu de Zoologia, R. Charles Darwin s/n, cidade universitária, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Camargo-Mathias, Maria I
  • Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24-A, 1515, Bairro Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, CEP13506-900, Brazil.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic / microbiology
  • Animals, Domestic / parasitology
  • Arthropod Vectors / microbiology
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Cattle / microbiology
  • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology
  • Cattle Diseases / microbiology
  • Colombia / epidemiology
  • Dog Diseases / epidemiology
  • Dog Diseases / microbiology
  • Dogs / microbiology
  • Endemic Diseases
  • Equidae / microbiology
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horses / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Ixodidae / microbiology
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rickettsia / genetics
  • Rickettsia / isolation & purification
  • Rickettsia / pathogenicity
  • Rickettsia Infections / epidemiology
  • Rickettsia Infections / microbiology
  • Rickettsia Infections / transmission
  • Rickettsia Infections / veterinary
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
  • Swine / microbiology
  • Swine Diseases / epidemiology
  • Swine Diseases / microbiology

Citations

This article has been cited 11 times.
  1. Carvajal-Agudelo JD, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Ossa-López PA, Rivera-Páez FA. Bacteria related to tick-borne pathogen assemblages in Ornithodoros cf. hasei (Acari: Argasidae) and blood of the wild mammal hosts in the Orinoquia region, Colombia. Exp Appl Acarol 2022 Jul;87(2-3):253-271.
    doi: 10.1007/s10493-022-00724-9pubmed: 35829939google scholar: lookup
  2. Forero-Becerra E, Acosta A, Benavides E, Martínez-Díaz HC, Hidalgo M. Amblyomma mixtum free-living stages: Inferences on dry and wet seasons use, preference, and niche width in an agroecosystem (Yopal, Casanare, Colombia). PLoS One 2022;17(4):e0245109.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245109pubmed: 35385470google scholar: lookup
  3. Piotrowski M, Rymaszewska A. Expansion of Tick-Borne Rickettsioses in the World. Microorganisms 2020 Nov 30;8(12).
    doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8121906pubmed: 33266186google scholar: lookup
  4. Cardona-Romero M, Martínez-Sánchez ET, Alvarez Londoño J, Tobón-Escobar WD, Ossa-López PA, Pérez-Cárdenas JE, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Blandón-Marín G, Cuervo LA, Castaño-Villa GJ, Rivera-Páez FA. Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of wild birds in Arauca, Orinoquia region of Colombia. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020 Dec;13:106-113.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.09.001pubmed: 32995266google scholar: lookup
  5. Ospina-Pérez EM, Mancilla-Agrono LY, Rivera-Páez FA. Germ cells: a useful tool for the taxonomy of Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. and species of the Amblyomma cajennense complex (Acari: Ixodidae). Parasitol Res 2020 May;119(5):1573-1582.
    doi: 10.1007/s00436-020-06662-ypubmed: 32253495google scholar: lookup
  6. Rodríguez-Bautista JL, Fuya-Oviedo P, Nijhof AM, Chitimia-Dobler L, Obara I, Fonseca A. Detection of Rickettsia spp. in questing ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from forest fragments adjacent to agricultural and livestock farms in Casanare, Colombia. Parasitol Res 2025 Apr 24;124(4):44.
    doi: 10.1007/s00436-025-08484-2pubmed: 40272567google scholar: lookup
  7. Badillo-Viloria M, Mattar S, Remesar S, de la Rosa-Jaramillo S, García-Bocanegra I, Miranda J, Portillo A, Cervera-Acedo C, Oteo JA, Cano-Terriza D. Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasmataceae in Ticks From Domestic Animals in Northern Colombia. Zoonoses Public Health 2025 Aug;72(5):421-434.
    doi: 10.1111/zph.13219pubmed: 40181654google scholar: lookup
  8. Ossa-López PA, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Álvarez López ME, Castaño Villa GJ, Rivera-Páez FA. Bacterial community of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and mammals from Arauca, Colombian Orinoquia. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2024 Aug;24:100943.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100943pubmed: 38778917google scholar: lookup
  9. Gual-Gonzalez L, Cantillo-Barraza O, Torres ME, Quintero-Vélez JC, Medina M, Self SCW, Nolan MS. Antibody Seroprevalence to Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Miraflores, Colombia: A Cross-Sectional Study in Humans and Dogs. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024 Jun 5;110(6):1245-1252.
    doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0593pubmed: 38593790google scholar: lookup
  10. Gual-Gonzalez L, Torres ME, Self SCW, Cantillo-Barraza O, Nolan MS. Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia spp. Molecular and Serological Evidence among Colombian Vectors and Animal Hosts: A Historical Review. Insects 2024 Mar 2;15(3).
    doi: 10.3390/insects15030170pubmed: 38535366google scholar: lookup
  11. Silva-Ramos CR, Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Serna-Rivera CC, Mattar S, Hidalgo M. Etiologies of Zoonotic Tropical Febrile Illnesses That Are Not Part of the Notifiable Diseases in Colombia. Microorganisms 2023 Aug 25;11(9).
    doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11092154pubmed: 37763998google scholar: lookup
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