Small mammals, ticks and rickettsiae in natural and human-modified landscapes: Diversity and occurrence of Brazilian spotted fever in Brazil

Serpa, Maria Carolina de Azevedo; Luz, Hermes Ribeiro; Costa, Francisco Borges; Weck, Bárbara; Benatti, Hector Ribeiro; Ramírez, Diego García; Rocha, Vlamir José; Dias, Thiago C.; Correa, Lucas Ribeiro; Brasil, Jardel; Brites-Neto, José; Nievas, Ana Maria; Suzin, Adriane; Monticelli, Patrícia Ferreira; Moro, Maria Estela Gaglianone; Lopes, Beatriz; Pacheco, Richard C.; Aguiar, Daniel Moura de; Piovezan, Ubiratan; Szabó, Matias Pablo Juán; Ferraz, Kátia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros; Percequillo, Alexandre Reis; Labruna, Marcelo Bahia

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101805

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…These ticks were mostly observed at plant heights of > 10 or > 15 cm above the ground. Taken together, these results indicate that A. sculptum seeks medium- to large-sized hosts, which is corroborated by the rarity of finding this tick parasitizing small rodents in areas where A. sculptum is the most abundant tick species in the environment [ 35 , 52 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 73%

Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma sculptum: a review

et al. 2022

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Background Amblyomma sculptum is a hard tick that is associated with domestic animals and the transmission of Brazilian spotted fever. This association has motivated several field studies on this ixodid tick within its distribution area in South America. Thorough knowledge of the seasonal dynamics of A. sculptum in different ecological scenarios is required in order to better understand the biological characteristics of this tick and develop techniques for the control and prevention of diseases transmitted by this vector. In this article, we systematically review the seasonal dynamics of A. sculptum and tick collection methodology. Methods A systematic search of the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Scielo databases was carried out for articles (including dissertations and theses) on the population dynamics of A. sculptum. The inclusion criterion was the report of seasonal dynamic studies on A. sculptum through surveys carried out for at least 1 year with, as methodology, tick collection in the environment and/or tick count/collection on A. sculptum primary hosts (horses or capybaras). Studies carried out before the reclassification of Amblyomma cajennense sensu lato in 2014, which referred to Amblyomma cajennense in areas where it is currently known that only A. sculptum occurs, were also included. Articles meeting the inclusion criterion, but not available in online databases, were also added based on the authors’ experience on the subject. Sixteen articles and one thesis were selected for inclusion in this systematic review. Results Most of the studies were carried out in the southeastern region of Brazil, with a few also carried out in the northeast, center-west and south of Brazil and northwest of Argentina. Five techniques/methods were applied across these studies: CO2 traps, dragging, flagging, visual searches and tick counting on animals, used alone or in combination. Conclusion Seasonal dynamics of A. sculptum was found to be similar in almost all of the areas studied, with larvae predominating during the autumn, nymphs in the winter and adults in the spring and summer. Graphical abstract

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 73%

Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma sculptum: a review

et al. 2022

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“…infection was detected only in areas A4, A5, A6, and A7. According to previous analyses [ 16 ], these four areas presented significantly higher diversity of small mammals than areas A1, A2, and A3. Higher biodiversity could favor the transmission of Hepatozoon by interspecies predation, a likely important transmission route of this protozoan [ 35 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…In addition, higher diversity of ticks could also facilitate Hepatozoon transmission . Again, it is noteworthy that areas A4, A5, A6, and A7 presented higher diversity of ticks than the remaining areas [ 16 ], suggesting that the life-cycle of small mammal-associated Hepatozoon spp. is under a complex interaction of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Small mammals were captured by Tomahawk and Sherman-like traps. General characteristics of the study sites, details on field study, and the protocols for handling the animals, anesthetic doses, storage, and identification have been published recently [ 16 ]. Briefly, blood samples were collected from all captured animals, whereas fragments of internal organs (liver, lung, and spleen) were collected from those animals that were euthanized.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Small mammals such as wild rodents and marsupials are hosts of numerous species of ticks at some stage (larva, nymph, or/and adult) of their life-cycle [ 13 ]. In Brazil, several species of ticks have been found parasitizing small mammals [ 14 – 16 ]. Furthermore, these vertebrates have frugivorous-omnivorous habits, including the consumption of small vertebrates, invertebrates, and fruits [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Novel genotypes of Hepatozoon spp. in small mammals, Brazil

et al. 2022

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Background Small mammals (rodents and marsupials) have been poorly explored for the occurrence of apicomplexan (genus Hepatozoon and genera of the order Piroplasmorida) and Anaplasmataceae agents in Brazil. Thus, this study investigated the occurrence of Hepatozoon spp., Piroplasmorida, and Anaplasmataceae agents in small mammals in seven forest fragments in Brazil. Methods During 2015–2018, small mammals were captured in six forest fragments in the State of São Paulo (Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes) and one fragment in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (Pantanal biome). Mammal blood, liver, spleen, and lung samples were tested molecularly for the presence of DNA of Hepatozoon, Piroplasmorida, and Anaplasmataceae agents. Results A total of 524 mammals were captured, comprising seven species of marsupials, 14 rodents, two carnivores, and one Cingulata. Four novel haplotypes (1, 2, 3, 4) of Hepatozoon spp. were detected in small mammals from different biomes. In São Paulo state, haplotype 1 was detected in rodents from Cerrado and a transition area of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, whereas haplotype 2 was detected in rodents from the Atlantic Forest biome. On the other hand, haplotypes 3 and 4 were restricted to rodents and marsupials, respectively, from the Pantanal biome of Mato Grosso do Sul. No host species shared more than one haplotype. Despite these distinct geographical and host associations, our phylogenetic analyses indicated that the four Hepatozoon haplotypes belonged to the same clade that contained nearly all haplotypes previously reported on rodents and marsupials, in addition to several reptile-associated haplotypes from different parts of the world. No mammal samples yielded detectable DNA of Piroplasmorida agents. On the other hand, the Anaplasmataceae-targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay amplified a sequence 100% identical to the Wolbachia pipientis endosymbiont of the rodent filarid Litomosoides galizai. Conclusions We report a variety of Hepatozoon haplotypes associated with small mammals in three Brazilian biomes: Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, and Pantanal. Through phylogenetic analyses, the Hepatozoon agents grouped in the rodent-marsupial-reptile large clade of Hepatozoon spp. from the world. The detection of a W. pipientis associated with the rodent filarid L. galizai indicates that the rodent was infected by filarial nematodes. Graphical Abstract

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