FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Medical and veterinary entomology2010; 25(2); 148-155; doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2010.00915.x

Rickettsial infections of dogs, horses and ticks in Juiz de Fora, southeastern Brazil, and isolation of Rickettsia rickettsii from Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks.

Abstract: The present study was performed in an area endemic for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) in Juiz de Fora, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the years 2007 and 2008, when fatal cases of BSF (caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) were reported. Adult ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) and Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) were collected from dogs and horses, respectively, and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 13.1% of the Rh. sanguineus ticks and none of the A. cajennense were found to be infected with R. rickettsii. Two isolates of R. rickettsii were successfully established in Vero cell culture from two Rh. sanguineus ticks. An indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using R. rickettsii antigens detected blood serological reaction to R. rickettsii in 67.9% (53/78) of dogs and 41.0% (16/39) of horses living in the study area. Larval offspring from two Rh. sanguineus engorged females, naturally infected by R. rickettsii, were reared to adult stage in the laboratory. All active stages (larvae, nymphs, adults) remained 100% infected by R. rickettsii, which was efficiently transmitted to naïve rabbits. Overall, the results of the present study indicate a potential risk for transmission of R. rickettsii to humans by Rh. sanguineus, an occurrence yet to be documented in Brazil.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2010-10-18 PubMed ID: 20950356DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2010.00915.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • 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.

This research conducted in Brazil from 2007 to 2008 reveals a high prevalence of the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii, the cause of Brazilian spotted fever, in ticks of the species Rhipicephalus sanguineus found on dogs. This raises concerns about potential transmission to humans in the region.

Study Objectives and Methodology

  • The study was undertaken in an area known for Brazilian spotted fever, a severe and often fatal tick-borne disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii.
  • The study aimed to find out the infection rates of this bacterium in ticks from animals, and to ascertain if these ticks can potentially transmit the bacteria to humans.
  • The researchers collected adult ticks from dogs and horses which were identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Amblyomma cajennense, respectively.
  • The DNA of these ticks was then tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to find instances of R. rickettsii infection.

Findings

  • 13.1% of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected from dogs were found to be carrying R. rickettsii, whereas none of the ticks collected from horses were found to be infected.
  • R. rickettsii was successfully isolated and grown in lab conditions from two of the ticks that were found to be infected.
  • A significant percentage of both dogs (67.9%) and horses (41.0%) from the studied area showed a blood serological reaction to R. rickettsii. This suggests they had been exposed to the bacteria.
  • In a controlled laboratory condition, embryos from two infected Rh. sanguineus ticks were allowed to mature into adults. At all life stages, the ticks remained 100% infected by the bacteria and successfully transmitted the infection to rabbits, proving transmission of R. rickettsii by this tick species is possible.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The findings of this study raise concerns about the potential threat Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks pose in spreading Brazilian spotted fever to humans.
  • While previous documentation of transmission of R. rickettsii by Rh. sanguineus to humans in Brazil remains absent, this increase of infection in ticks on dogs could potentially lead to more human cases in the future.
  • Preventive measures including tick control on domestic animals and awareness programmes may be beneficial in controlling the spread of this fatal disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Pacheco RC, Moraes-Filho J, Guedes E, Silveira I, Richtzenhain LJ, Leite RC, Labruna MB. (2010). Rickettsial infections of dogs, horses and ticks in Juiz de Fora, southeastern Brazil, and isolation of Rickettsia rickettsii from Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. Med Vet Entomol, 25(2), 148-155. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2915.2010.00915.x

Publication

Medical and veterinary entomology
ISSN: 1365-2915
NlmUniqueID: 8708682
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 25
Issue: 2
Pages: 148-155

Researcher Affiliations

Pacheco, R C
  • Department of Basic Sciences and Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
Moraes-Filho, J
    Guedes, E
      Silveira, I
        Richtzenhain, L J
          Leite, R C
            Labruna, M B

              MeSH Terms

              • Animals
              • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
              • Antibodies, Bacterial / immunology
              • Brazil / epidemiology
              • Cells, Cultured
              • Chlorocebus aethiops
              • Dog Diseases / blood
              • Dog Diseases / epidemiology
              • Dog Diseases / microbiology
              • Dogs
              • Female
              • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
              • Horse Diseases / blood
              • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
              • Horse Diseases / microbiology
              • Horses
              • Ixodidae / microbiology
              • Lagomorpha / blood
              • Lagomorpha / microbiology
              • Male
              • Polymerase Chain Reaction
              • Rhipicephalus sanguineus / microbiology
              • Rickettsia rickettsii / genetics
              • Rickettsia rickettsii / isolation & purification
              • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / blood
              • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / epidemiology
              • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / microbiology
              • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / veterinary
              • Vero Cells

              Citations

              This article has been cited 25 times.
              1. Walker DH, Blanton LS, Laroche M, Fang R, Narra HP. A Vaccine for Canine Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: An Unmet One Health Need. Vaccines (Basel) 2022 Sep 28;10(10).
                doi: 10.3390/vaccines10101626pubmed: 36298491google scholar: lookup
              2. Wyk CV, Mtshali K, Taioe MO, Terera S, Bakkes D, Ramatla T, Xuan X, Thekisoe O. Detection of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens of Urban Stray Dogs in South Africa. Pathogens 2022 Jul 30;11(8).
                doi: 10.3390/pathogens11080862pubmed: 36014983google scholar: lookup
              3. Pacheco-Solano K, Barrantes-González A, Dolz G, Troyo A, Jiménez-Rocha AE, Romero-Zuñiga JJ, Taylor L. Exposure of dogs to Rickettsia spp. in Costa Rica: Risk factors for PCR-positive ectoparasites and seropositivity. Parasite Epidemiol Control 2019 Nov;7:e00118.
                doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2019.e00118pubmed: 31489383google scholar: lookup
              4. Gerardi M, Ramírez-Hernández A, Binder LC, Krawczak FS, Gregori F, Labruna MB. Comparative Susceptibility of Different Populations of Amblyomma sculptum to Rickettsia rickettsii. Front Physiol 2019;10:653.
                doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00653pubmed: 31191350google scholar: lookup
              5. Ortega-Morales AI, Nava-Reyna E, Ávila-Rodríguez V, González-Álvarez VH, Castillo-Martínez A, Siller-Rodríguez QK, Cabezas-Cruz A, Dantas-Torres F, Almazán C. Detection of Rickettsia spp. in Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) collected from free-roaming dogs in Coahuila state, northern Mexico. Parasit Vectors 2019 Mar 26;12(1):130.
                doi: 10.1186/s13071-019-3377-zpubmed: 30909949google scholar: lookup
              6. Quintero V JC, Paternina T LE, Uribe Y A, Muskus C, Hidalgo M, Gil J, Cienfuegos G AV, Osorio Q L, Rojas A C. Eco-epidemiological analysis of rickettsial seropositivity in rural areas of Colombia: A multilevel approach. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017 Sep;11(9):e0005892.
                doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005892pubmed: 28922404google scholar: lookup
              7. Levin ML, Snellgrove AN, Zemtsova GE. Comparative value of blood and skin samples for diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in model animals. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016 Jul;7(5):1029-1034.
                doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.05.011pubmed: 27282078google scholar: lookup
              8. Bermúdez SE, Castro AM, Trejos D, García GG, Gabster A, Miranda RJ, Zaldívar Y, Paternina LE. Distribution of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Hard Ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) from Panamanian Urban and Rural Environments (2007-2013). Ecohealth 2016 Jun;13(2):274-84.
                doi: 10.1007/s10393-016-1118-8pubmed: 27068930google scholar: lookup
              9. Campos SD, da Cunha NC, Almosny NR. Brazilian Spotted Fever with an Approach in Veterinary Medicine and One Health Perspective. Vet Med Int 2016;2016:2430945.
                doi: 10.1155/2016/2430945pubmed: 26881183google scholar: lookup
              10. Nunes Ede C, Vizzoni VF, Navarro DL, Iani FC, Durães LS, Daemon E, Soares CA, Gazeta GS. Rickettsia amblyommii infecting Amblyomma sculptum in endemic spotted fever area from southeastern Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2015 Dec;110(8):1058-61.
                doi: 10.1590/0074-02760150266pubmed: 26676317google scholar: lookup
              11. Traeger MS, Regan JJ, Humpherys D, Mahoney DL, Martinez M, Emerson GL, Tack DM, Geissler A, Yasmin S, Lawson R, Hamilton C, Williams V, Levy C, Komatsu K, McQuiston JH, Yost DA. Rocky mountain spotted fever characterization and comparison to similar illnesses in a highly endemic area-Arizona, 2002-2011. Clin Infect Dis 2015 Jun 1;60(11):1650-8.
                doi: 10.1093/cid/civ115pubmed: 25697743google scholar: lookup
              12. Levin ML, Killmaster LF, Zemtsova GE, Ritter JM, Langham G. Clinical presentation, convalescence, and relapse of rocky mountain spotted fever in dogs experimentally infected via tick bite. PLoS One 2014;9(12):e115105.
                doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115105pubmed: 25542001google scholar: lookup
              13. Labruna MB, Santos FC, Ogrzewalska M, Nascimento EM, Colombo S, Marcili A, Angerami RN. Genetic identification of rickettsial isolates from fatal cases of Brazilian spotted fever and comparison with Rickettsia rickettsii isolates from the American continents. J Clin Microbiol 2014 Oct;52(10):3788-91.
                doi: 10.1128/JCM.01914-14pubmed: 25078908google scholar: lookup
              14. Parola P, Paddock CD, Socolovschi C, Labruna MB, Mediannikov O, Kernif T, Abdad MY, Stenos J, Bitam I, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Update on tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: a geographic approach. Clin Microbiol Rev 2013 Oct;26(4):657-702.
                doi: 10.1128/CMR.00032-13pubmed: 24092850google scholar: lookup
              15. Szabó MP, Pinter A, Labruna MB. Ecology, biology and distribution of spotted-fever tick vectors in Brazil. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2013;3:27.
                doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00027pubmed: 23875178google scholar: lookup
              16. Senra TO, Calmon F, Zeringóta V, Monteiro CM, Maturano R, da Silva Matos R, Melo D, Gomes GA, de Carvalho MG, Daemon E. Investigation of activity of monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids against immature stages of Amblyomma cajennense and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae). Parasitol Res 2013 Oct;112(10):3471-6.
                doi: 10.1007/s00436-013-3527-8pubmed: 23842886google scholar: lookup
              17. de Almeida RF, Garcia MV, Cunha RC, Matias J, e Silva EA, de Fatima Cepa Matos M, Andreotti R. Ixodid fauna and zoonotic agents in ticks from dogs: first report of Rickettsia rickettsii in Rhipicephalus sanguineus in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, mid-western Brazil. Exp Appl Acarol 2013 May;60(1):63-72.
                doi: 10.1007/s10493-012-9641-ypubmed: 23229491google scholar: lookup
              18. da Silva Costa LF, Nunes PH, Soares JF, Labruna MB, Camargo-Mathias MI. Distribution of Rickettsia rickettsii in ovary cells of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille1806) (Acari: Ixodidae). Parasit Vectors 2011 Nov 25;4:222.
                doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-222pubmed: 22117572google scholar: lookup
              19. Audi Gazeta JF, Pais Borsoi AB, Bitencourth K, Côrtes MG, Machado IB, Melo da Silva BP, Cavalcante R, Gazeta GS, Costa da Cunha N. The mosaic of Rickettisae from the Caatinga Biome, Brazil: New records and first interactions. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2025 Nov;19(11):e0013670.
                doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013670pubmed: 41212910google scholar: lookup
              20. Dantas-Torres F, de Sousa-Paula LC, Otranto D. The Rhipicephalus sanguineus group: updated list of species, geographical distribution, and vector competence. Parasit Vectors 2024 Dec 27;17(1):540.
                doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06572-3pubmed: 39731169google scholar: lookup
              21. Brophy MK, Weis E, Drexler NA, Paddock CD, Nicholson WL, Kersh GJ, Salzer JS. Conceptual Framework for Community-Based Prevention of Brown Dog Tick-Associated Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Emerg Infect Dis 2024 Nov;30(11):2231-2240.
                doi: 10.3201/eid3011.240293pubmed: 39447135google scholar: lookup
              22. Ali S, Ahmad AS, Ashraf K, Khan JA, Imran Rashid M. Rearing of Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks on rabbits for the biological transmission of Anaplasma marginale. Vet World 2024 Apr;17(4):903-910.
                doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.903-910pubmed: 38798298google scholar: lookup
              23. de la Fuente J, Estrada-Peña A, Rafael M, Almazán C, Bermúdez S, Abdelbaset AE, Kasaija PD, Kabi F, Akande FA, Ajagbe DO, Bamgbose T, Ghosh S, Palavesam A, Hamid PH, Oskam CL, Egan SL, Duarte-Barbosa A, Hekimoğlu O, Szabó MPJ, Labruna MB, Dahal A. Perception of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Worldwide. Pathogens 2023 Oct 19;12(10).
                doi: 10.3390/pathogens12101258pubmed: 37887774google scholar: lookup
              24. Morelli S, Diakou A, Di Cesare A, Colombo M, Traversa D. Canine and Feline Parasitology: Analogies, Differences, and Relevance for Human Health. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021 Dec 15;34(4):e0026620.
                doi: 10.1128/CMR.00266-20pubmed: 34378954google scholar: lookup
              25. Quintero-Vélez JC, Cienfuegos-Gallet AV, Quintero LO, Úsuga AF, Cifuentes S, Solari S, Rodas JD, Diaz FJ, Rojas CA. Epidemiology of Rickettsial Infection in the Municipality of Uramita, Colombia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021 Aug 9;105(4):1013-1023.
                doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0104pubmed: 34370699google scholar: lookup
              Subscribe to our newsletter
              Join 99,727 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.