Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on wild birds in north-central Argentina

Flores, Fernando S.; Nava, Stefano; Batallán, Gonzalo P.; Tauro, Laura B.; Contigiani, Marta Silvia; Díaz, Luis Adrián; Guglielmone, Alberto A.

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.05.004

Cited by 28 publications

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“…Wild birds can be hosts of different stages of some species of ticks, commonly larvae and nymphs, and rarely adults (GUGLIELMONE et al, 2014;FLORES et al, 2014). Furthermore, wild birds are among the most mobile hosts, and therefore they may be regarded as hosts with relevant potential in the dispersion of ticks and tick-borne diseases, including rickettsial organisms (ELFVING et al, 2010;HORNOK et al, 2014;BERTHOVÁ et al, 2016).…”

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“…Most of these species belong to the genus Amblyomma, best represented in Argentina with 25 species. Ten species from three genera have been reported parasitizing wild birds in different Argentinean eco-regions (FLORES et al, 2014); however, bird ticks have never been searched for rickettsial infection in Argentina. Here, we have evaluated rickettsial infection in ticks collected on wild birds in two eco-regions of Argentina.…”

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“…Bird collections were performed using mist nets, which remained active during morning and twilight hours, obtaining convenience samplings in 2011 and 2012, as previously reported (FLORES et al, 2014). Each individual bird was identified using Narosky & Yzurieta (2010), classified under Clements et al (2015) criteria and examined for ticks using fine-tipped tweezers.…”

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“…After being processed, the birds were released, and the ticks obtained were stored in 70% ethanol until specific determination in the laboratory. The detailed procedures for the fieldwork, bird and tick taxonomic identification, and the results of the ticks infesting these birds have been published elsewhere (FLORES et al, 2014).…”

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“…A complete list of hosts for these ticks has been published elsewhere (FLORES et al, 2014). Two tick species were found to be infected by Rickettsia.…”

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Rickettsial infection in ticks infesting wild birds from two eco-regions of Argentina

Flores

Costa

Nava

et al. 2016

Rev. Bras. Parasitol. Vet.

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Several tick-borne Rickettsia species are recognized human pathogens in Argentina. Here we evaluated rickettsial infection in ticks collected on passerine birds during 2011-2012 in two eco-regions of Argentina. The ticks were processed by molecular analysis through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection and DNA sequencing of fragments of two rickettsial genes, gltA and ompA. A total of 594 tick specimens (532 larvae and 62 nymphs), representing at least 4 species (Amblyomma tigrinum, Ixodes pararicinus, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), were evaluated. At least one A. tigrinum larva, collected on Coryphospingus cucullatus in Chaco Seco, was infected with Rickettsia parkeri, whereas at least 12 larvae and 1 nymph of I. pararicinus, collected from Troglodytes aedon, Turdus amaurochalinus, Turdus rufiventris, C. cucullatus and Zonotrichia capensis, were infected with an undescribed Rickettsia agent, genetically related to several rickettsial endosymbionts of ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex. R. parkeri is a recognized human pathogen in several American countries including Argentina, where a recent study incriminated A. tigrinum as the potential vector of R. parkeri to humans. Birds could play an important role in dispersing R. parkeri-infected A. tigrinum ticks. Additionally, we report for the first time a rickettsial agent infecting I. pararicinus ticks.Keywords: Rickettsia parkeri, endosymbiont, Amblyomma tigrinum, Ixodes pararicinus, passeriformes. ResumoAlgumas espécies de Rickettsia transmitidas por carrapatos são reconhecidos como patógenos humanos na Argentina. Este presente trabalho avaliou a infecção por Rickettsia em carrapatos coletados em aves passeriformes, durante 2011-2012, em duas ecorregiões da Argentina. Os carrapatos foram processados pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) e sequenciamento de DNA de dois genes de Rickettsia: gltA e ompA. Ao todo, 594 amostras de carrapatos (532 larvas e 62 ninfas), representando pelo menos 4 espécies (Amblyomma tigrinum, Ixodes pararicinus, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), foram avaliadas. Pelo menos uma larva de A. tigrinum, coletada de Coryphospingus cucullatus no Chaco Seco, estava infectada com Rickettsia parkeri, enquanto pelo menos 12 larvas e 1 ninfa de I. pararicinus, coletadas de Troglodytes aedon, Turdus amaurochalinus, Turdus rufiventris, C. cucullatus e Zonotrichia capensis estavam infectadas com Rickettsia sp., geneticamente relacionada a vários endossimbiontes riquetsiais de carrapatos do complexo Ixodes ricinus. R. parkeri é reconhecidamente um patógeno humano em alguns países americanos, incluindo a Argentina, onde um estudo recente incriminou A. tigrinum como um provável vetor. Aves poderiam desempenhar um papel importante na dispersão de carrapatos A. tigrinum infectados por R. parkeri. Em adição, relata-se pela primeira vez a infecção por Rickettsia em I. pararicinus.

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“…A complete list of hosts for these ticks has been published elsewhere (FLORES et al, 2014). Two tick species were found to be infected by Rickettsia.…”

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