Ticks infesting captive and free-roaming wild animal species at the São Paulo Zoo, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Ticks are ectoparasites of worldwide distribution that affect vertebrates and can transmit pathogens to animals and humans. The Zoological Park Foundation of São Paulo (FPZSP) is located in a Conservation Unit in one of the most important remaining fragments of the Atlantic Rainforest biome in the suburbs of São Paulo, Brazil. The FPZSP houses more than 3,000 wild animals on exhibit, in breeding programs and in environmental education programs, and also attracts migratory birds and free-roaming wildlife. This study focused on identifying the diversity of tick species that infest captive and free-roaming animals at the FPZSP. The collection of ticks kept at the FPZSP contains 523 specimens that were collected from different host species between 1990 and 2017. Ten tick species were found. In addition, Amblyomma aureolatum (Pallas) was found on stray cats living in the Atlantic forest fragment in the FPZSP. This study reveals a low occurrence of parasitism in captive animals and a high diversity of tick species collected from hosts in this Atlantic forest fragment, contributing information about host-parasite relationships and potential vectors of zoonotic diseases, since the vectors of Brazilian spotted fever, A. aureolatum and Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, were found in some hosts.

Ticks and Associated Pathogens From Rescued Wild Animals in Rainforest Fragments of Northeastern Brazil

“…Our study found I. loricatus on D. aurita and D. albiventris as previously described in diverse Brazilian states such as Paraná, Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo, and Pernambuco (21,(49)(50)(51). In the state of Pernambuco, I. loricatus was found infesting five marsupial species, including D. aurita and D. albiventris, with high infestation frequencies in these two marsupial species (50), similar to that observed in our study.…”

Tick fauna of wild animals received and attended at the Santarém Zoological Park, western Pará State, Brazil

“…These studies are mostly concentrated in the Southeast region of the national territory, with the Sorocaba Zoo being the pioneer (TEIXEIRA et al, 2003(TEIXEIRA et al, , 2008(TEIXEIRA et al, , 2017MARTINS et al, 2015b;GONZALEZ et al, 2017). Other studies have been conducted in the South and Northeast regions of the Brazilian territory (BRUM & RICKES, 2003;DANTAS-TORRES et al, 2010a, 2010bPEREIRA et al, 2012).…”

Diversidade De Carrapatos (Acari: Ixodidae) Em Animais Silvestres Recebidos Pelo Zoológico Municipal De Guarulhos

“…No presente trabalho, foram ainda encontradas as espécies A. sculptum e A. aureolatum que são consideradas importantes vetoras da bactéria Rickettsia rickettsii agente etiológico da febre maculosa brasileira, tais encontros corroboram com outras pesquisas recentes desenvolvidas em Zoológicos no estado de São Paulo (MARTINS et al, 2015;GONZALEZ et al, 2017;TEIXEIRA et al, 2017).…”