Survey of bacterial and protozoan agents in ticks and fleas found on wild animals in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

This study evaluates the presence of bacterial and protozoan agents in ticks and fleas found on wild animals in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These ectoparasites were collected on mammal species Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Tapirus terrestris, Dicotyles tajacu, Didelphis aurita, Cuniculus paca, Cerdocyon thous, and Coendou prehensilis, and on the terrestrial bird Dromaius novaehollandiae. Ticks and fleas were identified morphologically using specific taxonomic keys. A total of 396 ticks and 54 fleas were tested via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., microorganisms of the order Piroplasmida and Anaplasmataceae family. This total is distributed among nine tick species of the genus Amblyomma and one flea species. Rickettsia bellii was detected in Amblyomma dubitatum and Amblyomma pacae; Rickettsia sp. strain AL was found in Amblyomma longirostre; Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest was found in Amblyomma ovale; and "Candidatus Rickettsia senegalensis" and Rickettsia felis were detected in Ctenocephalides felis felis. Wolbachia sp. was detected in C. f. felis, and Borrelia sp. was detected in Amblyomma calcaratum (here named Borrelia sp. strain Acalc110). All tested samples were negative for Ehrlichia spp. and microorganisms of the Piroplasmida order. This study detected a new bacterial strain, Borrelia sp. strain Acalc 110 (which is genetically close to B. miyamotoi and B. venezuelensis) and the Rickettsia sp. strain 19P, which is 100% similar to "Ca. R. senegalensis", a bacterium recently discovered and now being reported for the first time in Brazil.

Keywords: Brazil; Endosymbionts; Free-living; Ixodid; Siphonaptera; Wild animals.