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

• Published in: Frontiers in veterinary science Vol. 7; p. 177
• Main Authors: Fonseca, Maísa Santos, Bahiense, Thiago Campanharo, Silva, Aretha Alves Borges, Onofrio, Valeria Castilho, Barral, Thiago Doria, Souza, Barbara Maria Paraná, Lira-da-Silva, Rejane Maria, Biondi, Ilka, Meyer, Roberto, Portela, Ricardo Wagner
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 08-04-2020
• Subjects: Amblyomma spp; Anaplasmataceae family; Hepatozoon spp; Ixodes loricatus; Rickettsia spp; Veterinary Science; wildlife animals; Amblyomma spp; Hepatozoon spp; Ixodes loricatus; wildlife animals; Anaplasmataceae family; Rickettsia spp
• ISSN: 2297-1769; 2297-1769
• DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00177

The Ixodidae family comprises ticks that are hematophagous ectoparasites and are considered vectors of several hemoparasites from the Anaplasmataceae family and the genus
, and
. These ectoparasites parasitize domestic and wild animals belonging to several vertebrate groups. Ticks are highly adapted to different biomes and thus possess a wide geographical distribution. In the Brazilian state of Bahia, localized in the Northeast region, there are large rainforest fragments. Studies have rarely been carried out on ticks, and their hemoparasites, that parasitize wild animals in this region. Thus, this study aimed to identify the tick species parasitizing wild animals rescued in rainforest fragments of Bahia and investigate the presence of hemoparasites in tick tissues. During a 2-year period, 238 ticks were collected from 41 wild mammalians, reptiles, and amphibians. These ectoparasites were taxonomically classified according to their morphological characteristics. The ticks identified belonged to five different species from the Ixodidae family:
, and
. For the first time, an
parasitizing the
turtle was described. PCR assays using DNA extracted from salivary glands or midgut of the ticks were performed to detect specific DNA fragments of hemoparasites from the genus
, and from the Anaplasmataceae family. The results showed positive detection of the
genus (7.9%), Anaplasmataceae family (15.8%), and
genus (15.8%). Specific DNA from the
and
genera were not detected in these samples. Specific DNA from members of the Anaplasmataceae family was detected in
for the first time. The present work showed that amphibians, reptiles, and mammals from Bahia's Atlantic Forest areparasitized by different tick species, and that these ectoparasites present pathogens in their tissues that impact both humans and animals due to their zoonotic potential.