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Molecular Detection of Rickettsia parkeri Strain Atlantic Rainforest in Ticks Parasitizing Small Mammals in Northeastern Brazil

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Abstract

Purpose

Small mammals are important reservoirs of ticks and their pathogens in nature. However, studies reporting these associations are still rare in Brazil. In the present study, we investigated the presence of Rickettsia DNA in ticks parasitizing rodents and marsupials captured in different areas throughout the Atlantic rainforest biome, Bahia, Northeastern (NE), Brazil.

Methods

The study was conducted in five municipalities within of the Atlantic Forest biome, Bahia state, in NE Brazil. Two campaigns were done in each municipality. For host captures Sherman and Tomahawk traps were used, and pitfall traps. After being captured, the hosts were anesthetized and their entire body examined for ticks. When ticks were detected, they were manually removed and stored in eppendorf tubes (1.5 ml) containing absolute PA ethanol for future laboratory analysis (identification of ticks and detection of Rickettsia spp.).

Results

A total of 609 mammals were captured. Overall, 208 ticks of the genus Amblyomma and Ixodes were collected: A. ovale, I. loricatus and A. varium. Rickettsia DNA was detected in A. ovale and it was 99–100% of identity to the sequence deposited in GenBank as Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantica rainforest.

Conclusion

These results suggest that R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest occurs in the region, and A. ovale is likely the vector.

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Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the conclusions of this article are included withinthe article.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the staff and students of Laboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammals Reservoirs from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) and to all of them who helped in field works, specially to Élson O. Rios and the Caipora's and Rhip's fraternities. We thank the anonymous reviewers who improved the manuscript, and to Santiago Alvarez Martinez for English revision. We also thank Dr. Rui Cerqueira (UFRJ) and Dr. Pedro Cordeiro Estrela (UFPB) for general coordination of the PPBio Rede BioMA (CNPq 457524/2012-0). This work was also supported by UESC [00220.1100.1264; 00220.1100.1645 and 00220.1100.1536], Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) [Finance Code 001], Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (FAPESB) [PNE0001/2014 and PPP0008/2011], and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) [Grant 306308/2015-0]. CAPES/Brazil) – Finance Code 001. CAPES/DPG—“Amazônia-Legal” (Support Program for Postgraduate Studies in the Legal Amazon), number- 088.990.417-09 for HRL.

Funding

This work was supported by the UESC [00220.1100.1264; 00220.1100.1645 and 00220.1100.1536], Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) [Finance Code 001], Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (FAPESB) [PNE0001/2014 and PPP0008/2011], and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) [Grant 306308/2015–0]. CAPES/Brazil) – Finance Code 001. CAPES/DPG—“Amazônia-Legal” (Support Program for Postgraduate Studies in the Legal Amazon), number- 088.990.417–09 for HRL.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Program in Animal Science. State University of Santa Cruz, UESC, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil

    Josiane M. Rocha & George R. Albuquerque

  2. Department of Animal Parasitology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil

    Philipe B. de Oliveira & João L. H. Faccini

  3. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Sócrates F. da Costa-Neto & Maria H. Ogrzewalska

  4. Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Thiago F. Martins

  5. Department of Biological Sciences (DCB), Mammal Collection (CMARF), State University of Santa Curz (UESC), Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil

    Martin R. D. V. Alvarez

  6. Postgraduate Program in Health and Environment, and Biodiversity and Conservation, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil

    Hermes R. Luz

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  1. Josiane M. Rocha
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Contributions

JMR, SFCN, PBO, HRL, GRA, JLHF, MHO, TFM: formal analysis, methodology and review & editing. HRL, JLHF, GRA: writing – original draft.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hermes R. Luz.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

The animals were captured under authorization from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio, License numbers 17131–4, 49238–1 and 38515–2). All procedures followed the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Ethics Committee on Animal Use (CEUA LW Nº 39/2014) and approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Use (CEUA-UESC N° 003/2013 and 015/2015). The collected mammals are housed in the Mammalian Collection “Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira” of the State University of Santa Cruz (CMARF-UESC).

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Rocha, J.M., de Oliveira, P.B., da Costa-Neto, S.F. et al. Molecular Detection of Rickettsia parkeri Strain Atlantic Rainforest in Ticks Parasitizing Small Mammals in Northeastern Brazil. Acta Parasit. 67, 1657–1666 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-022-00617-2

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