Ixodids in wild animals of the mountainous plateau Region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil / Ixodídeos em animais silvestres na Região do Planalto Serrano, Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil

O conhecimento da fauna de ixodídeos, bem como a potencialidade como transmissores de patógenos aos seus hospedeiros e em alguns casos aos humanos, é de grande importância para o estabelecimento de programas de saúde pública e vigilância epidemiológica. Com o objetivo de identificar ixodídeos de mamíferos silvestres no Planalto Serrano de Santa Catarina foram examinados carrapatos, coletados ou recebidos no Laboratório de Parasitologia e Doenças Parasitárias do Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias CAV/UDESC no período 2001 a 2011. Os ixodídeos eram provenientes de animais silvestres que passaram pelo processo de triagem do Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias (HCV) do CAV e de animais encontrados mortos em rodovias do Estado. De acordo com as chaves dicotômicas específicas identificou-se Amblyomma aureolatum coletados em Pseudalopex gymnocercus, Lycalopex gymnocercus, Leopardus pardalis, Cerdocyon thous, Leopardus tigrinus, Puma concolor e Bufo sp.; A. dubitatum em Hydrochoerus hydrochoeris; A. rotundatum em Puma concolor e Bohtrops sp.; A. ovale em Bufo sp.; e Rhipicephalus microplus em Mazama gouazoubira. Foi identificado um exemplar de A. longirostre que se encontrava em uma residência da área urbana do município de Lages. As espécies A. rotundatum em Bohtrops sp. e em Puma concolor; e A. longirostre, encontrada no ambiente, foram relatadas pela primeira vez no estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil.(AU)

Knowledge of ixodids (hard ticks), as of well as their ability to transmit pathogens to their hosts, and in some cases to humans, is significantly important for the establishment of epidemiological public health programs and surveillance. With the purpose of identifying ixodids from wild mammals in the mountainous plateau of Santa Catarina, we examined ticks collected or received in the Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases of the Centre of Agroveterinary Sciences (CAV/UDESC) from 2001 to 2011. The ixodids were collected from wild animals that were subjected to the screening process of the Veterinary Clinic Hospital (HCV) of CAV and from dead animals found on state highways. Using specific dichotomous keys, we identified Amblyomma aureolatum collected from Pseudalopex gymnocercus, Lycalopex gymnocercus, Leoparduspardalis, Cerdocyon thous, Leopardus tigrinus, Puma concolor, and Bufo sp.; A. dubitatum collected from Hydrochoerus hydrochoeris; A. rotundatum from Puma concolor and Bohtrops sp.; A. ovale from Bufo sp.; and Rhipicephalus microplus from Mazama gouazoubira. A specimen of A. longirostre was identified in an urban area house at the municipality of Lages. A. rotundatum that was collected from Bohtrops sp. and Puma concolor, and A. longirostre that was found in the environment, are reported for the first time in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. (AU)

Ixodids in wild animals of the mountainous plateau Region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil / Ixodídeos em animais silvestres na Região do Planalto Serrano, Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil

O conhecimento da fauna de ixodídeos, bem como a potencialidade como transmissores de patógenos aos seus hospedeiros e em alguns casos aos humanos, é de grande importância para o estabelecimento de programas de saúde pública e vigilância epidemiológica. Com o objetivo de identificar ixodídeos de mamíferos silvestres no Planalto Serrano de Santa Catarina foram examinados carrapatos, coletados ou recebidos no Laboratório de Parasitologia e Doenças Parasitárias do Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias CAV/UDESC no período 2001 a 2011. Os ixodídeos eram provenientes de animais silvestres que passaram pelo processo de triagem do Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias (HCV) do CAV e de animais encontrados mortos em rodovias do Estado. De acordo com as chaves dicotômicas específicas identificou-se Amblyomma aureolatum coletados em Pseudalopex gymnocercus, Lycalopex gymnocercus, Leopardus pardalis, Cerdocyon thous, Leopardus tigrinus, Puma concolor e Bufo sp.; A. dubitatum em Hydrochoerus hydrochoeris; A. rotundatum em Puma concolor e Bohtrops sp.; A. ovale em Bufo sp.; e Rhipicephalus microplus em Mazama gouazoubira. Foi identificado um exemplar de A. longirostre que se encontrava em uma residência da área urbana do município de Lages. As espécies A. rotundatum em Bohtrops sp. e em Puma concolor; e A. longirostre, encontrada no ambiente, foram relatadas pela primeira vez no estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil.

Knowledge of ixodids (hard ticks), as of well as their ability to transmit pathogens to their hosts, and in some cases to humans, is significantly important for the establishment of epidemiological public health programs and surveillance. With the purpose of identifying ixodids from wild mammals in the mountainous plateau of Santa Catarina, we examined ticks collected or received in the Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases of the Centre of Agroveterinary Sciences (CAV/UDESC) from 2001 to 2011. The ixodids were collected from wild animals that were subjected to the screening process of the Veterinary Clinic Hospital (HCV) of CAV and from dead animals found on state highways. Using specific dichotomous keys, we identified Amblyomma aureolatum collected from Pseudalopex gymnocercus, Lycalopex gymnocercus, Leoparduspardalis, Cerdocyon thous, Leopardus tigrinus, Puma concolor, and Bufo sp.; A. dubitatum collected from Hydrochoerus hydrochoeris; A. rotundatum from Puma concolor and Bohtrops sp.; A. ovale from Bufo sp.; and Rhipicephalus microplus from Mazama gouazoubira. A specimen of A. longirostre was identified in an urban area house at the municipality of Lages. A. rotundatum that was collected from Bohtrops sp. and Puma concolor, and A. longirostre that was found in the environment, are reported for the first time in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Spotted fever group Rickettsia infecting ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

During 2006-2008, a total of 260 adult ticks were collected from domestic and wild animals in different regions of the state of Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil, including areas where human cases of Brazilian spotted fever have been reported. Collected ticks belonging to nine species (Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma tigrinum, Dermacentor nitens, Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus) were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for rickettsial infection. Overall, eight (3.1 percent) ticks were found to be infected with Rickettsia species. After sequencing the PCR products, we determined that the sequences generated from three A. aureolatum, one A. ovale and one R. sanguineus from the municipality of Blumenau, one A. ovale from the municipality of Águas Mornas and one A. ovale from the municipality of Urussanga were identical to the corresponding partial rickettsial ompA gene sequence of Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest. The sequence generated from one A. longirostre from Blumenau was 100 percent identical to the corresponding partial rickettsial ompA gene sequence of Rickettsia amblyommii strain AL. Because R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest was recently shown to have caused two cases of human spotted fever in other states of Brazil, the role of this rickettsial agent as a possible etiological agent of spotted fever in SC is discussed.

Spotted fever group Rickettsia infecting ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

During 2006-2008, a total of 260 adult ticks were collected from domestic and wild animals in different regions of the state of Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil, including areas where human cases of Brazilian spotted fever have been reported. Collected ticks belonging to nine species (Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma tigrinum, Dermacentor nitens, Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus) were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for rickettsial infection. Overall, eight (3.1%) ticks were found to be infected with Rickettsia species. After sequencing the PCR products, we determined that the sequences generated from three A. aureolatum, one A. ovale and one R. sanguineus from the municipality of Blumenau, one A. ovale from the municipality of Águas Mornas and one A. ovale from the municipality of Urussanga were identical to the corresponding partial rickettsial ompA gene sequence of Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest. The sequence generated from one A. longirostre from Blumenau was 100% identical to the corresponding partial rickettsial ompA gene sequence of Rickettsia amblyommii strain AL. Because R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest was recently shown to have caused two cases of human spotted fever in other states of Brazil, the role of this rickettsial agent as a possible etiological agent of spotted fever in SC is discussed.