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Molecular survey of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in ticks collected from coatis (Nasua nasua) in Iguaçu National Park, Atlantic Forest biome, southern Brazil

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Abstract

Human contact with wild animals in synanthropic habits is often mediated by arthropod vectors such as ticks. This is an important method of spreading infectious agents that pose a risk to human health. Thus, this study aimed to molecularly detect Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., and protozoa of the order Piroplasmida in ticks collected from coatis of Iguaçu National Park (PNI), Paraná, Brazil. This study involved 553 ticks DNA, including Amblyomma spp. larvae, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi nymphs, Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma coelebs, and adults of Amblyomma ovale. The DNA extracted from each sample was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the genes 23S rRNA for the Anaplasmataceae family, 16S rRNA for Anaplasma spp., dsb for Ehrlichia spp., flaB, 16S rRNA, hpt, and glpQ for Borrelia spp., and 18S rRNA for Piroplasmid protozoans. DNA from Anaplasma sp. was detected in ticks of the species A. coelebs (4/553); Borrelia sp. DNA was detected in A. coelebs (3/553), A. ovale (1/553), and Amblyomma larvae (1/553); and Theileria sp. was detected in A. coelebs (2/553). All tested samples were negative for Ehrlichia spp. Our study constitutes the newest report in South America of these microorganisms, which remain poorly studied.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Br 465, km 7, Highway BR 465, Km 7,5 Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, CEP: 23891-000, Brazil

    Izabela Mesquita Araújo, Bruna de Azevedo Baêta, Cláudia Bezerra da Silva & Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca

  2. Federal Institute of Amapá-Campus Agrícola de Porto Grande, Porto Grande, Amapá state, Brazil

    Paulo César Magalhães-Matos

  3. Laboratory of Hantaviruses and Rickettsiosis, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz–Avenida Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, 4365, Brazil

    Alexandro Guterres

  4. Post-Graduate Program in Practice in Sustainable Development, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

    Matheus Dias Cordeiro

Authors
  1. Izabela Mesquita Araújo
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  2. Bruna de Azevedo Baêta
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  3. Paulo César Magalhães-Matos
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  4. Alexandro Guterres
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  5. Cláudia Bezerra da Silva
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  6. Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca
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  7. Matheus Dias Cordeiro
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Contributions

IM Araújo and MD Cordeiro designed the project and experiments. IM Araújo, PC Magalhães-Matos, BA Baêta, CB Silva, and AH Fonseca carried out the experimental procedures. MD Cordeiro and A Guterres performed the phylogenetic analysis and interpretation of the results. IM araújo has written the first draft of the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matheus Dias Cordeiro.

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Ethics approval

This research was carried out after approval by the Ethics Committee for the Use of Animals of the Veterinary Institute of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (No. 058/2014 CEUA-IV/UFRRJ). The capture of animals, field collection, and transport of biological samples were authorized by the Biodiversity Information and Authorization System (SISBio) of the Ministry of the Environment (No. 43,614–3).

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Araújo, I.M., de Azevedo Baêta, B., Magalhães-Matos, P.C. et al. Molecular survey of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in ticks collected from coatis (Nasua nasua) in Iguaçu National Park, Atlantic Forest biome, southern Brazil. Parasitol Res 122, 2367–2377 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07937-w

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