Ticks from the Brazilian Amazon: Species, Distribution and Host-Relations

Abstract

Ticks are important ectoparasites and can transmit a wide variety of pathogens to animals and humans worldwide. These ectoparasites are the most important vectors of diseases causing pathogens in domestic and wild animals, and the second for man. In Brazil, Spotted Fever is the only disease transmitted to humans by ticks, while for animals we can highlight babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. Although ticks are found in all of Brazil’s biomes, little is known about its diversity and host-relations in the Amazon biome. The existing gaps and the lack of research indicate that the diversity of ticks and their possible pathogens are underestimated in the Brazilian Amazon. Therefore, in order to guide the next studies in the Amazon biome, we present in this chapter a compilation of the records of hard ticks and soft ticks parasitizing wild and domestic animals, and humans. We present the general list of ticks for this biome, their distribution, hosts and importance for public health and veterinary. Finally, the ixodofauna found in the Brazilian Amazon and presented here does not match the vertebrate diversity of this biome, which is one of the largest on the planet. Therefore, more acarologists and epidemiologists are needed in this region.

Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection

“…Although the natural hosts of R. amblyommatis remain unknown, the presence of infected ticks and capybaras in the present study suggest the possibility that these rodents may be acting as amplifying hosts of this bacterium. Further studies are advocated to better understand the relationship between A. cajennense s.s., R. amblyommatis , capybaras and humans in the Amazon biome, considering that this ixodid is the primary vector of R. amblyommatis and one of the most common ticks parasitizing animals and humans in this region [ 24 , 26 , 27 ].…”

Biology of the non-parasitic phase of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in an area of Amazon influence

“…Concomitantly, R. ( B .) microplus has also expanded in the Amazon biome, which in addition to parasitizing cattle in this region, can also be found in a variety of wild mammals [ 10 ]. Studies indicate that wild hosts can play a secondary role in the life cycle of R. ( B .)…”

Challenges in the Construction of Highways in the Brazilian Amazonia Environment: Part I – Identification of Engineering Problems

“…Brazil is a large country of 8.5 million km 2 [1]. The International Amazonia is vast, covering parts of nine countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Peru, and Venezuela), equivalent to 8 million square kilometers of South America (Figure 1), of which approximately 65% is located in Brazil [2,3]. The Brazilian population in this region is approximately 20 million [1].…”

“…The most important biomes of Brazil are the Amazon Forest and deciduous forests in the North, the rainforest of the Eastern Coast (known as the Atlantic Forest), the savanna areas (Cerrado) in the Centre, the thorn forest (Caatinga) in the Northeast, the Pantanal in the Midwest, and the pine forests and Pampa fields in the South. Also noteworthy are the humid riparian forest in the Northwest (Campinarana), coastal mangroves, sand dunes, and salt marshes, all transition zones, and many small areas where special combinations of climate, altitude, and soil produce unique ecosystems [4,3]. Figure 1 displays these main biomes.…”

“…Brazil is at the top of 18 megadiverse countries, home to 15-20% of the world's biological diversity, with more than 120,000 invertebrate species, approximately 9000 vertebrates, and more than 4000 plant species [5]. The Brazilian flora comprises approximately 55,000 described species [6,7], a number that represents Distribution of the main biomes of the International Amazonia in South America [3].…”