Synanthropic Mammals as Potential Hosts of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Panama

Abstract

Synanthropic wild mammals can be important hosts for many vector-borne zoonotic pathogens. The aim of this study was determine the exposure of synanthropic mammals to two types of tick-borne pathogens in Panama, spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) and Borrelia relapsing fever (RF) spirochetes. One hundred and thirty-one wild mammals were evaluated, including two gray foxes, two crab-eating foxes (from zoos), four coyotes, 62 opossum and 63 spiny rats captured close to rural towns. To evaluate exposure to SFGR, serum samples from the animals were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using Rickettsia rickettsii and Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii antigen. Immunoblotting was performed using Borrelia turicatae protein lysates and rGlpQ, to assess infection caused by RF spirochetes. One coyote (25%) and 27 (43%) opossums showed seroreactivity to SFGR. Of these opossums, 11 were seroreactive to C. R. amblyommii. Serological reactivity was not detected to B. turicatae in mammal samples. These findings may reflect a potential role of both mammals in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens in Panama.

A review of the genus <em>Rickettsia</em> in Central America

“…Research has resulted in serologic evidence of SFG exposure in dogs and horses from Panama, 51 domestic dogs and cats from Costa Rica, 53 , 54 and wild opossums ( Didephis marsupialis ) and coyotes from Panama. 55 These results are a first clue of rickettsial infection in vertebrates that deserves further investigation.…”

“… 77 In Central America, there is serological evidence of exposure in dogs, horses, and opossums ( D. marsupialis ) from Panama and dogs from Costa Rica. 52 , 54 , 55 In this country, the strain 9-CC-3-1 of R. amblyommatis was able to generate pathology and an immune response in guinea pigs, and it was protective against a subsequent infection with a lethal R. rickettsii strain. Therefore, the presence of R. amblyommatis in the region may modulate the epidemiology and severity of RMSF in areas where both the species circulate.…”

Spatial epidemiology of yellow fever: Identification of determinants of the 2016-2018 epidemics and at-risk areas in Brazil

“…However, for many infectious disease systems including yellow fever, the range of potential and putative hosts is not definitively exhaustive, and communities, rather than species, may be might be part of the cycle. Furthermore, at foci of emergence and the forest edge, synanthropic species may play a role in the cycle and transmission [ 13 ], adding unweighted complexity in the delimitation of hosts and vectors taxonomic lists, and their associated ecological requirements. Concerning YF, the most recognised hosts are humans, but the cycle mainly relies on NHP, in which some species are highly vulnerable to infection [ 14 – 16 ].…”

Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America and the Caribbean: A One Health Perspective

“…Further experimental infection trials with armadillos using a human isolate of these RF spirochetes resulted in parasitemic animals, thus indicating the significance of these mammalian hosts in the disease ecology [85]. The results of this, and other studies, highlight the importance of wildlife and tick vectors in the ecology and epidemiology of TBDs affecting human and animal health [86][87][88].…”