Rickettsial Infection in Ticks from a National Park in the Cerrado Biome, Midwestern Brazil

• Published in: Pathogens (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 13
• Main Authors: Paludo, Raquel Loren Dos Reis, Paula, Warley Vieira de Freitas, Neves, Lucianne Cardoso, de Paula, Luiza Gabriella Ferreira, de Lima, Nicolas Jalowitzki, da Silva, Bianca Barbara Fonseca, Pereira, Brenda Gomes, Pádua, Gracielle Teles, Dantas-Torres, Filipe, Labruna, Marcelo B, Martins, Thiago Fernandes, Sponchiado, Jonas, Sousa-Paula, Lucas Christian de, Hannibal, Wellington, Krawczak, Felipe da Silva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-01-2024
• Subjects: Altitude; Amblyomma; Amblyomma sculptum; Amblyomma triste; Analysis; Animals; Antigens; Arachnids; Biodiversity; Biological diversity; Care and treatment; Control; Diagnosis; Dogs; Ecosystems; Genes; GltA gene; Identification and classification; Mammals; Marsupials; Medical research; National parks; Pathogens; Phlebotomy; Phylogeny; Rickettsia; Rickettsia parkeri; Rickettsia tillamookensis; Rickettsial diseases; Risk factors; Small mammals; Taxonomy; Ticks; Vegetation; Brazil; United States > US; Amblyomma sculptum; Amblyomma triste; Rickettsia parkeri; Rickettsia tillamookensis
• ISSN: 2076-0817; 2076-0817
• DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010013

This study was carried out from February 2020 to September 2021 in Parque Nacional das Emas (PNE), a national park located in the Cerrado biome, midwestern Brazil, as well as in surrounding rural properties. Serum and tick samples were collected from dogs, terrestrial small mammals, and humans. Ticks were also collected from the environment. Dogs were infested with
adults, whereas small mammals were infested by immature stages of
spp.,
,
, and
. Ticks collected from vegetation belonged to several species of the genus
, including
,
,
,
, and
. Two
species were molecularly detected in ticks:
in
from the vegetation and a
sp. (designated
sp. strain PNE) in
and
collected from lowland tapirs (
). Based on short
A gene fragments, this rickettsial organism showed 99.7-100% to
. Seroreactivity to
antigens was detected in 21.9% of dogs, 15.4% of small mammals, and 23.5% of humans. The present study reveals the richness of ticks and demonstrates the circulation of rickettsial agents in one of the largest conservation units in the Cerrado biome in Brazil. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a rickettsial phylogenetically related to
in Brazil.