scholarly journals Serosurvey of Rickettsia spp. in small mammals from Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina de Campos Binder ◽  
Felipe da Silva Krawczak ◽  
Jonas Sponchiado ◽  
Geruza Leal Melo ◽  
Jonas Moraes-Filho ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate exposure of wild small mammals to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae in Mato Grosso do Sul State, central-western Brazil. Serum samples of 68 small mammals were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) against six Rickettsia species from Brazil. Overall, 37.5% (9/24) marsupials and 6.8% (3/44) small rodents were seroreactive to at least one of the Rickettsia species, with end point titres ranging from 64 to 512. These results suggested that wild small mammals were infected by SFG rickettsiae, and could participate in the ecology of rickettsiae in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Granziera Spolidorio ◽  
Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino ◽  
Samantha Yuri Oshiro Branco Valadas ◽  
Herbert Sousa Soares ◽  
Kedson Alessandri Lobo Neves ◽  
...  

Canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis are the most prevalent tick-borne diseases in Brazilian dogs. Few studies have focused attention in surveying tick-borne diseases in the Brazilian Amazon region. A total of 129 blood samples were collected from dogs living in the Brazilian eastern Amazon. Seventy-two samples from dogs from rural areas of 19 municipalities and 57 samples from urban stray dogs from Santarém municipality were collected. Serum samples were submitted to Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) with antigens ofBabesia canis vogeli, Ehrlichia canis, and six Rickettsia species. The frequency of dogs containing anti-B. canis vogeli, anti-E. canis, and anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies was 42.6%, 16.2%, and 31.7%, respectively. Anti-B. canis vogeli antibodies were detected in 59.6% of the urban dogs, and in 29.1% of the rural dogs (P < 0.05). For E. canis, seroprevalence was similar among urban (15.7%) and rural (16.6%) dogs. ForRickettsia spp., rural dogs presented significantly higher (P < 0.05) prevalence (40.3%) than urban animals (21.1%). This first study on tick-borne pathogens in dogs from the Brazilian eastern Amazon indicates that dogs are exposed to several agents, such asBabesia organisms, mostly in the urban area; Spotted Fever group Rickettsia organisms, mostly in the rural area; andEhrlichia organisms, in dogs from both areas studied.


Author(s):  
Tatiana Evelyn Hayama Ueno ◽  
André Antonio Cutolo ◽  
Thiago Fernandes Martins ◽  
Jonas Moraes-Filho ◽  
Sérgio Santos de Azevedo ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate rickettsial infection in equids, opossums and ticks in the municipality of Monte Mor, a place where a Brazilian spotted fever case occurred in 2005. In addition, characteristics possibly associated with seropositivity in horses were analyzed. Serum samples from horses, mules and opossums (Didelphis albiventris) were subjected to indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) against Rickettsia rickettsii. The ticks collected from the animals were identified and Amblyomma sculptum ticks from the equids were tested using PCR for Rickettsia spp. Anti-R. rickettsii antibodies were detected in 22.6% (14/62) of the horses, none of the mules and 21.7% (5/23) of the opossums. Among the variables analyzed, only age > 12 years showed a statistically significant association with seropositivity among horses. All of the 166 A. sculptum ticks tested using PCR were negative. The results showed that rickettsiae of the spotted fever group was circulating in the municipality of Monte Mor when the samples were collected and indicate a need for surveillance of Brazilian spotted fever in this region.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Gomes Lopes ◽  
Felipe da Silva Krawczak ◽  
Julia Teresa Ribeiro de Lima ◽  
Gislene Fatima da Silva Rocha Fournier ◽  
Igor da Cunha Lima Acosta ◽  
...  

Abstract Occurrence of infection or exposure to Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis and Rickettsia spp. was detected in feral cats living in two fragments from Atlantic rainforest, in Natal, RN, Brazil, and in dogs living around the parks. While serum samples were collected from 155 animals (53 cats living in the parks; 29 dogs living in human homes around the parks; and 73 dogs living at an animal control center - ACC), spleen samples were collected from 20 dogs that were euthanized at ACC. Serum samples were analyzed to Rickettsia spp. and E. canis antibodies using the indirect immunofluorescence assay. Seventeen of the 102 dogs (17%) had E. canis antibodies and 13% (20/155) of all dogs and cats (i.e. 3% (3/102) of the dogs and 32% (17/53) of the cats) were seropositive for Rickettsia spp. antigens. The animals were therefore been exposed to R. amblyommatis or by a very closely related genotype. Among the 20 dog spleen samples analyzed, eight were PCR positive for E. canis and two for H. canis (GenBank accession number MG772657 and MG772658, respectively). In none of the spleen samples were obtained amplicons for Babesia spp. through PCR. This study provided the first evidence that Rickettsia of the spotted fever group is circulating among dogs and cats in Natal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Cláudia Colle ◽  
Ravena Fernanda Braga Mendonça ◽  
Maerle Oliveira Maia ◽  
Leodil Costa Freitas ◽  
Thiago Fernandes Martins ◽  
...  

In the present study, samples of tick, tissue and blood from free-living wild small mammals (rodents and marsupials) captured in two municipalities from the Amazon biome of the Mato Grosso state, were molecularly tested for rickettsial infection. A total of 148 mammal specimens (46 rodents and 102 marsupials) were trapped, and 2,700 Amblyomma ticks (2,000 larvae and 700 nymphs) were collected. Ticks were recognized into four Amblyomma species: Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma humerale, and Amblyomma scalpturatum, with new data for tick-host associations from small mammals in the Amazon biome. All tissue and blood samples of small mammals tested by PCR for rickettsial detection were negative. However, concerning tick-Rickettsia associations, Rickettsia amblyommatis was detected in all four tick species identified in the present study, being the first record for A. scalpturatum ticks. Furthermore, an uncharacterized species of Rickettsia belonging to the spotted fever group was detected in A. humerale as well. 


2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Santos Toledo ◽  
Katia Tamekuni ◽  
Mauro de Freitas Silva Filho ◽  
Valeska Bender Haydu ◽  
Richard Campos Pacheco ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: Spotted fevers are emerging zoonoses caused by Rickettsia species in the spotted fever group (SFG). Rickettsia rickettsii is the main etiologic agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) and it is transmitted by Amblyomma spp. ticks. METHODS: The study aimed to investigate SFG rickettsiae in the Arthur Thomas Municipal Park in Londrina, PR, by collecting free-living ticks and ticks from capybaras and blood samples from personnel working in these areas. Samples from A. dubitatum and A. cajennense were submitted for PCR in pools to analyze the Rickettsia spp. gltA (citrate synthase gene). RESULTS: All the pools analyzed were negative. Human sera were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay with R. rickettsii and R. parkeri as antigens. Among the 34 sera analyzed, seven (20.6%) were reactive for R. rickettsii: four of these had endpoint titers equal to 64, 2 titers were 128 and 1 titer was 256. None of the samples were reactive for R. parkeri. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied to the park staff, but no statistically significant associations were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The serological studies suggest the presence of Rickettsiae related to SFG that could be infecting the human population studied; however, analysis of the ticks collected was unable to determine which species may be involved in transmission to humans.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tereza Emmanuelle de Farias Rotondano ◽  
Felipe da Silva Krawczak ◽  
Werona de Oliveira Barbosa ◽  
Jonas Moraes-Filho ◽  
Fernanda Nieri Bastos ◽  
...  

Abstract The aims of our study was to identify Ehrlichia canis and antibodies against Rickettsia spp. belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG) in dogs sampled from Paraiba state, northeastern Brazil. Blood and serum samples collected by convenience from dogs in urban areas of five municipalities were analyzed by real-time PCR for the detection of E. canis DNA and by immunofluorescence assay test (IFAT) for the identification of antibodies against Rickettsia rickettsii, R. felis, R. parkeri, R. amblyommii and R. rhipicephali antigens. E. canis DNA was detected in 8.9% (64/719) of the blood samples, whereas 5.63% (43/763) of the serum samples were positive for at least one of the Rickettsia antigens tested by IFAT. This study showed for the first time the occurrence of E. canis and suggested the circulation of SFG Rickettsia in dogs in the study region of Paraiba state, northeastern Brazil.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Matias ◽  
Marcos Valério Garcia ◽  
Rodrigo Casquero Cunha ◽  
André de Abreu Rangel Aguirre ◽  
Jacqueline Cavalvante Barros ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Lucianne Cardoso Neves ◽  
Ana Laura Gonçalves Barreto ◽  
Mariana Xavier de Souza ◽  
Danieli Brolo Martins ◽  
Amália Regina Mar Barbieri ◽  
...  

Abstract The purpose of this study was to do a serological survey on three rickettsial species: Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri, two species of the spotted fever group (SFG) that are considered to be great importance for public health; and Rickettsia bellii, a species of unknown pathogenicity that infects a variety of human-biting ticks. Serum samples from 273 dogs were tested using the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). A total of 52 samples (19.04%) were seropositive for at least one of the three Rickettsia spp. antigens. Thirty-eight (73.07%), twelve (23.07%) and one (1.92%) of these dogs showed homologous reactions to R. bellii, R. rickettsii and R. parkeri, respectively. Our results showed that the seroprevalence of Rickettsia spp. was relatively low. However, the positive serological tests indicated that these dogs had become infected by these agents at some point in their lives. Lastly, our study adds to the previous knowledge on the epidemiology of rickettsiosis in the state of Goiás by doing the first record of detection of anti-R. rickettsii, R. parkeri and R. bellii antibodies by IFA among dogs, thus indicating that these agents may be circulating in the dog population analyzed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 935
Author(s):  
Erica Fernanda G. Gomes de Sá ◽  
Vinicius Da Silva Rodrigues ◽  
Marcos Valério Garcia ◽  
Namor Pinheiro Zimmermann ◽  
Vanessa Do Nascimento Ramos ◽  
...  

This experiment studied tick fauna associated to Didelphis albiventris Lund 1840 from a Cerrado area (Mato Grosso do Sul State, non-adjoining to Pantanal) inserted in a pasture and agricultural activities matrix, with few natural preserved forest patches. Authors also summarized data on ticks parasitizing Didelphis spp. in Brazil, and discussed infestation patterns in different biomes and locations. Study took place in Cervinho Farm, Bandeirantes Municipality. For captures, Tomahawk-like traps were distributed along two forest patches (30 each) during five nights. Captures occurred monthly (July/2013 to September/2014), sampling both fragments on alternate months. Animals were sedated and ticks were collected and stored in vials containing ethanol (70%) for identification. 51 D. albiventris were captured in 15 campaigns. Tick prevalence was 100%, and 49.5% of the animals were co-infested by two or more tick species. Four parasitizing species were found: Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888 (78 nymphs), Ixodes loricatus Neumann, 1899 (56 adults), Amblyomma dubitatum Neumann, 1899 (45 nymphs), Amblyomma coelebs Neumann, 1899 (32 nymphs) and Amblyomma sp. (123 larvae). A. sculptum was the most abundant tick, but most frequent species were A. coelebs and A. dubitatum, followed by I. loricatus. Co-occurrences of more than two species were observed among all tick pairs. D. albiventris usually presents high prevalence of tick infestation. However, this study presented 100% prevalence. Knowledge of host-parasite relation and interactions between different ticks that coexist on a same host are essential, since such interaction may favor pathogen dissemination. This is of special relevance regarding D. albiventris, known for participating in maintenance of ecological cycles of Spotted Fever Group rickettsiae.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 222-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Silva Fortes ◽  
Iara Silveira ◽  
Jonas Moraes-Filho ◽  
Ronaldo Viana Leite ◽  
José Edivaldo Bonacim ◽  
...  

Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is a vector-borne zoonosis caused by Rickettsia rickettsii bacteria. Dogs can be host sentinels for this bacterium. The aim of the study was to determine the presence of antibodies against Rickettsia spp. in dogs from the city of São José dos Pinhais, State of Paraná, Southern Brazil, where a human case of BSF was first reported in the state. Between February 2006 and July 2007, serum samples from 364 dogs were collected and tested at 1:64 dilutions by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) against R. rickettsii and R. parkeri. All sera that reacted at least to one of Rickettsia species were tested against the six main Rickettsia species identified in Brazil: R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. bellii, R. rhipicephali, R. amblyommii and R. felis. Sixteen samples (4.4%) reacted to at least one Rickettsia species. Among positive animals, two dogs (15.5%) showed suggestive titers for R. bellii exposure. One sample had a homologous reaction to R. felis, a confirmed human pathogen. Although Rickettsia spp. circulation in dogs in the area studied may be considered at low prevalence, suggesting low risk of human infection, the present data demonstrate for the first time the exposure of dogs to R. bellii and R. felis in Southern Brazil.


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