Abstract
We report tick infestations and rickettsial detection in ticks infesting free-living wild mammals (Monodelphis domestica, Tolypeutes tricinctus, Thrichomys inermis and Kerodon rupestris) captured in the Caatinga ecoregion of Bahia state, northeastern Brazil, during September to December 2016. Overall, 117 ticks (61 larvae, 25 nymphs, 25 males, 6 females) belonging to two genera, and at least three species were collected: Amblyomma auricularium, Amblyomma parvum, Amblyomma sp., Ornithodoros rietcorreai and an unidentified Ornithodoros sp. We provide new host records to the rodent T. inermis parasitized by larva and nymphs of A. auricularium and to the marsupial M. domestica infested by larvae of A. auricularium. Furthermore, we describe new tick-host association for larvae of O. rietcorreai on the rodents K. rupestris and T. inermis. Concerning tick-Rickettsia associations, we detected Rickettsia amblyommatis and an uncharacterized species of Rickettsia belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG) in both A. auricularium and A. parvum. Additionally, ‘Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae’ was detected in A. parvum as well.
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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the scholarships of M. O. Maia, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the awarding a research productivity grant to M. B. Labruna and R. C. Pacheco, and to Geo & Bio Ambiental Ltda for financial and logistical support during fieldwork.
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Maia, M.O., Koppe, V.C., Muñoz-Leal, S. et al. Detection of Rickettsia spp. in ticks associated to wild mammals in Northeastern Brazil, with notes on an undetermined Ornithodoros sp. collected from marsupials. Exp Appl Acarol 76, 523–535 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0323-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0323-2