The first report of Rickettsia spp. in Amblyomma nodosum in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Abstract: Ticks are vectors of various pathogens, including Rickettsia spp., which are responsible for causing an emerging disease of global significance. In the present study, an epidemiological survey was performed to identify Rickettsia spp. of the spotted fever group (SFG) in ticks and wild hosts in a native forest adjacent to livestock farming activity. The ticks and blood were evaluated by a hemolymph test and by PCR using the primers CS78 and CS323, which target a partial sequence of the enzyme citrate synthase (gltA) gene. Positive samples by PCR were further tested with the primers Rr190.70p and Rr190.602n, which target a 532-bp fragment of the rickettsial 190-kDa outer membrane protein gene (ompA). In addition, an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was performed to detect antibodies against Rickettsia spp. in horses that inhabited the same area. From the 43 animals that were captured, 192 ticks were collected; the ticks belonged to the species Amblyomma cajennense, A. ovale, and A. nodosum. All blood samples and hemolymph tests were negative. Four samples of A. nodosum that were collected from Tamandua tetradactyla were positive for Rickettsia spp. by PCR, and 8 samples of horse serum displayed titers greater than or equal to 1:64 by IFA. The phylogenetic analysis based on the DNA sequence of the ompACG gene demonstrated that Rickettsia spp. CG (the canadensis group) segregate in the same cluster as Rickettsia parkeri strain COOPERI, with a bootstrap value of 78%. These results indicate that Rickettsia spp. CG circulate among the tick population in the study area, which has a constant presence of livestock and humans. This may be the same species of Rickettsia that was recorded in A. nodosum throughout the Atlantic forest.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-09-18 PubMed ID: 23084365DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.08.002Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
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- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research paper reveals the first documented findings of Rickettsia spp. in Amblyomma nodosum ticks in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The research involved investigating ticks and wild hosts in a native forest adjacent to livestock farming activity to identify potential transmission pathways of the disease-causing bacteria.
Research Objectives and Methods
- The study aimed to conduct an epidemiological survey to identify Rickettsia spp., a bacteria responsible for serious infections in humans and animals.
- The investigation considered ticks and wild hosts in a native forest close to livestock farming operations, given that ticks are understood to be vectors of various pathogens.
- Tick and blood samples were evaluated via a hemolymph test and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test.
- The test results were confirmed with further PCR tests using different primers. Additionally, an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was used to detect antibodies against Rickettsia spp. in horses living in the same area.
Findings
- In total, 192 ticks were collected from 43 captured animals. All blood samples and hemolymph tests were negative.
- The ticks belonged to three species: Amblyomma cajennense, A. ovale, and A. nodosum.
- Four samples of A. nodosum ticks collected from the Tamandua tetradactyla species were found to be positive for Rickettsia spp. upon PCR testing. Eight samples of horse serum showed titers greater than or equal to 1:64 by IFA.
- The DNA sequence analysis of the samples suggested that Rickettsia spp. CG (the canadensis group) circulate among the tick population in the study area, which regularly encounters livestock and humans.
Significance
- This study provides the first evidence of Rickettsia spp. in A. nodosum ticks in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
- This could potentially be the same strain of Rickettsia previously noted in A. nodosum throughout the Atlantic forest.
- The potential implications include increased risks to the health of livestock, humans, and the local ecosystem posed by tick-borne diseases.
Cite This Article
APA
Almeida RF, Garcia MV, Cunha RC, Matias J, Labruna MB, Andreotti R.
(2012).
The first report of Rickettsia spp. in Amblyomma nodosum in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis, 4(1-2), 156-159.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.08.002 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Brazil
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
- Ixodidae / microbiology
- Mammals
- Phylogeny
- Rickettsia / classification
- Rickettsia / genetics
- Rickettsia / isolation & purification
- Seasons
- Tick Infestations / epidemiology
- Tick Infestations / parasitology
- Tick Infestations / veterinary
- Trees
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Muñoz-García CI, Rendón-Franco E, Grostieta E, Navarrete-Sotelo M, Sánchez-Montes S. Novel Francisella-like endosymbiont and Anaplasma species from Amblyomma nodosum hosted by the anteater Tamandua Mexicana in Mexico. Exp Appl Acarol 2023 Sep;91(1):111-121.
- Eremeeva ME, Dasch GA. Challenges posed by tick-borne rickettsiae: eco-epidemiology and public health implications. Front Public Health 2015;3:55.
- 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.
- 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.
- Lee DAB, Barros-Battesti DM, Arantes PVC, Sada JM, Sanches GS, André MR, Lima VFS. First report of unusual case of parasitism by Amblyomma nodosum (Neumann, 1889) in a yellow cururu toad (Rhinella icterica) in the Northeastern Brazilian Caatinga. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2024;33(2):e005324.
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