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Risk factors associated with the transmission of Brazilian spotted fever in the Piracicaba river basin, State of São Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract: Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is a disease transmitted by ticks for which the etiological agent is Rickettsia rickettsii. The present essay evaluates the risk factors associated with the transmission of cases of BSF in the time period between 2003 and 2013 in the Piracicaba river basin, state of São Paulo. Methods: This essay presents a retrospective study to identify the factors associated with the transmission of cases of BSF among all suspected cases identified by the System for Epidemiological Surveillance of São Paulo (CVE). After the description of temporal distribution (onset of symptoms) and the environmental and demographic variations of the confirmed and discarded cases, a multiple logistic regression model was applied. Results: We searched 569 probable locations of infection (PLI) with 210 (37%) confirmed cases of BSF and 359 (63%) discarded cases. The associated variables for the confirmation of BSF in the multiple logistic model using a confidence interval (CI) of 95% were age (OR = 1.025 CI: 1.015-1.035), the presence of Amblyomma sculptum in the environment (OR = 1.629 CI: 1.097-2.439), the collection of ticks from horses (OR = 1.939 CI: 0.999-3.764), the presence of capybaras (OR = 1.467 CI: 1.009-2.138), an urban environment (OR = 1.515 CI: 1.036-2.231), and the existence of a dirty pasture (OR = 1.759 CI: 1.028-3.003). Conclusions: The factors associated with the confirmation of BSF cases included an urban environment, age, presence of the A. sculptum vector, the collection of ticks from horses, the presence of a capybara population, and a dirty pasture environment.
Publication Date: 2015-01-01 PubMed ID: 25860458DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0281-2014Google 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.
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research aims to identify the risk factors that contribute to the transmission of Brazilian Spotted Fever (BSF) within the Piracicaba river basin in São Paulo, Brazil. The article reveals that factors such as an individual’s age, the presence of a specific tick species, collection of ticks from horses, capybara presence, urban environments, and dirty pastures all contribute to the occurrence of BSF.
Research Methodology
- The researchers conducted a retrospective study with data extracted from the database of the System for Epidemiological Surveillance of São Paulo (CVE).
- They analyzed the data collected from suspected cases of BSF in the Piracicaba river basin, São Paulo, between 2003 and 2013.
- The study considered symptomatic onset time as well as environmental and demographic variations of both confirmed and discarded BSF cases.
- Utilizing a multiple logistic regression model, the researchers evaluated numerous variables to identify their potential association with confirmed cases of BSF.
Research Findings
- The researchers identified 569 probable locations of infection (PLI) that included both confirmed (210 cases, or 37%) and discarded BSF cases (359 cases, or 63%).
- They then correlated these BSF cases with their respective variables. The confirmed cases of BSF were associated with age (increased risk with aging), the presence of the Amblyomma sculptum tick, collection of ticks from horses, presence of capybaras, being in an urban environment, and having a dirty pasture.
- The odds ratios applied to these variables suggested a statistically significant association between each of these variables and confirmed cases of BSF.
Conclusions
- This study identified various factors that are associated with confirmed cases of BSF, which may be crucial in the development of preventive and control measures for the disease.
- People residing in an urban environment, older age groups, households or areas with the presence of the A. sculptum vector (a tick), households that collect ticks from horses, locations with a capybara population, and areas with dirty pastures are likely to be at increased risk of BSF transmission.
- Further and ongoing research is suggested to maintain up-to-date understanding of the associated risk factors and develop effective interventions where necessary.
Cite This Article
APA
Souza CE, Pinter A, Donalisio MR.
(2015).
Risk factors associated with the transmission of Brazilian spotted fever in the Piracicaba river basin, State of São Paulo, Brazil.
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop, 48(1), 11-17.
https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0281-2014 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratório de Carrapatos, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Mogi Guaçu, SP, Brazil.
- Coordenação dos Laboratórios de Referência e Desenvolvimento Científico, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
- Brazil / epidemiology
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Female
- Horses
- Humans
- Infant
- Infant, Newborn
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Retrospective Studies
- Rickettsia rickettsii / isolation & purification
- Risk Factors
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / epidemiology
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / transmission
- Rodentia / parasitology
- Ticks / microbiology
- Young Adult
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Rodrigues CM, Dourado F, Marinho DS, Gazêta GS, Geise L. Mapping potential risks for the transmission of spotted fever rickettsiosis: The case study from the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. PLoS One 2022;17(7):e0270837.
- Prado RFS, Araújo IM, Cordeiro MD, Baêta BA, Silva JBD, Fonseca AHD. Diversity of tick species (Acari: Ixodidae) in military training areas in Southeastern Brazil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2022;31(2):e001322.
- Durães LS, Bitencourth K, Ramalho FR, Nogueira MC, Nunes EC, Gazêta GS. Biodiversity of Potential Vectors of Rickettsiae and Epidemiological Mosaic of Spotted Fever in the State of Paraná, Brazil. Front Public Health 2021;9:577789.
- Luz HR, Costa FB, Benatti HR, Ramos VN, de A Serpa MC, Martins TF, Acosta ICL, Ramirez DG, Muñoz-Leal S, Ramirez-Hernandez A, Binder LC, Carvalho MP, Rocha V, Dias TC, Simeoni CL, Brites-Neto J, Brasil J, Nievas AM, Monticelli PF, Moro MEG, Lopes B, Aguiar DM, Pacheco RC, Souza CE, Piovezan U, Juliano R, Ferraz KMPMB, Szabó MPJ, Labruna MB. Epidemiology of capybara-associated Brazilian spotted fever. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 Sep;13(9):e0007734.
- Eder M, Cortes F, Teixeira de Siqueira Filha N, Araújo de França GV, Degroote S, Braga C, Ridde V, Turchi Martelli CM. Scoping review on vector-borne diseases in urban areas: transmission dynamics, vectorial capacity and co-infection. Infect Dis Poverty 2018 Sep 3;7(1):90.
- Montenegro DC, Bitencourth K, de Oliveira SV, Borsoi AP, Cardoso KM, Sousa MSB, Giordano-Dias C, Amorim M, Serra-Freire NM, Gazêta GS, Brazil RP. Spotted Fever: Epidemiology and Vector-Rickettsia-Host Relationship in Rio de Janeiro State. Front Microbiol 2017;8:505.
- de Oliveira SV, Guimarães JN, Reckziegel GC, Neves BM, Araújo-Vilges KM, Fonseca LX, Pinna FV, Pereira SV, de Caldas EP, Gazeta GS, Gurgel-Gonçalves R. An update on the epidemiological situation of spotted fever in Brazil. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2016;22(1):22.
- Brites-Neto J, Brasil J, Roncato Duarte KM. Epidemiological surveillance of capybaras and ticks on warning area for Brazilian spotted fever. Vet World 2015 Sep;8(9):1143-9.
- Binder LC, Fanchini CEC, Soares HS, Martins MP, Silito IS, Labruna MB. Vector competence and transovarial transmission of Rickettsia rickettsii in Rickettsia bellii-infected and -uninfected Amblyomma dubitatum ticks. Exp Appl Acarol 2025 May 21;95(1):3.
- Rosa-Xavier IG, Pinter A, Giuffrida R, Biondo AW, Kmetiuk LB, Santarém VA. One Health Approach to Brazilian Spotted Fever: Capybaras, Horses, and Rural Areas as Predictors for Human Disease. Pathogens 2025 Mar 23;14(4).
- Jorge FMG, Passos-Nunes FB, Jorge-Neto PN, Donoso FMPM, Nunes MP, Steiner AG, Labruna MB, Roman ACK, Cristofoli M, Alcobaça MMO, Pizzutto CS, de Assis AC. Sterilization of free-ranging female capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris): a comparison between two surgical techniques. Anim Reprod 2024;21(4):e20240053.
- Brasil J, Angerami RN, Donalisio MR. Factors associated with the confirmation and death for Brazilian spotted fever in an important endemic area of the State of São Paulo, 2007-2021. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2024;57:e00708.
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