RESUMO
Knowledge about ticks and Rickettsiae in Colombia is still limited and the areas of the country where studies have been conducted are scarce. In this study, ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) associated with reptiles and amphibians in San Juan de Carare, Santander department, were morphologically and molecularly identified and tested for the presence of Rickettsia. For the molecular characterization of ticks, CO1, 12S and 16S sequences were generated and compared with other sequences available in genbank. Our analyses confirmed that the collected ticks were Amblyomma dissimile, and we provide the first report of this species parasitizing the snake Leptodeira septentrionalis. Of the samples analyzed, 69% were positive for Rickettsia sp. using the gltA, ompA and sca1 genes. Rickettsia sequences generated in this study were also compared to sequences downloaded from genbank by Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analyzes. The presence of a single Rickettsia species, Candidatus Rickettsia colombianensi, was identified. This study expands the knowledge regarding the distribution of A. dissimile ticks and Rickettsiae in Colombia.
RESUMO
Tick-borne diseases constitute a problem for livestock and public health. Given the socio-economic and environmental conditions of the Colombian Caribbean, ticks are particularly abundant, in turn exposing domestic animals and people in contact with them to such diseases. This study evaluates the presence of Babesia spp., Anaplasma spp., Coxiella spp. and Borrelia spp. in domestic animal ticks (Amblyomma mixtum, A. dissimile, Dermacentor nitens, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and R. microplus) by conventional PCR. Findings show a prevalence of 12.5% of Babesia, 0% of Borrelia, 39.4% of Anaplasma and 52.9% of Coxiella, whereas 6.2% of a total sample of 104 tick pools presented coinfections between Babesia and Anaplasma. Among the molecularly identified species are Ba. vogeli, Ba. bigemina and A. marginale, in addition to two Coxiella species-one being C. mudrowiae and the other similar to an undescribed endosymbiont of Rhipicephalus sp. It is necessary to evaluate the vector capacity of ticks such as A. mixtum, D. nitens and R. sanguineus in the transmission of A. marginale. Moreover, it is necessary to explore the role that bacteria of the genus Coxiella might have both in the health of humans and animals, and in the metabolism and reproduction of ticks. This is the first report on Babesia vogeli and B. bigemina in ticks from the Colombian Caribbean, representing a risk to animal and human health.
Assuntos
Animais Domésticos/parasitologia , Carrapatos/microbiologia , Carrapatos/parasitologia , Animais , Região do Caribe , Colômbia/epidemiologia , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Horses are among the domestic animals that closely interact with humans and are highly parasitized by ticks, which are the primary vectors of zoonoses. As horses in Tayrona National Natural Park (PNNT) are used as a means of transporting goods, luggage and people, they are in constant contact with wild animals, workers and tourists from different countries. These factors increase the transmission risk of hemoparasites. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of Rickettsia sp., Anaplasma sp., and Theileria sp., in horse ticks in this protected area using conventional PCR. We collected 343 ticks of genera Amblyomma, Rhipicephalus and Dermacentor. Of the 61 samples analyzed by PCR, 18 (29.5%) individuals were positive for Rickettsia sp., 15 (24.5%) for Anaplasma sp. and 4 (6.6%) for Theileria sp. This is the first report of these hemoparasite genera in ticks associated with horses in this preserved natural area, demonstrating the importance of additional studies on the presence and epidemiology of hemoparasites and their vectors in domestic and wild animals in conserved areas with a high flow of tourists.
Assuntos
Anaplasma/isolamento & purificação , Ixodidae/microbiologia , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Theileria/isolamento & purificação , Anaplasma/classificação , Animais , Colômbia , Dermacentor/microbiologia , Feminino , Cavalos/parasitologia , Larva/microbiologia , Masculino , Ninfa/microbiologia , Parques Recreativos , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/veterinária , Rhipicephalus/microbiologia , Rickettsia/classificação , Theileria/classificaçãoRESUMO
The toads Rhinella spp. are in constant contact with humans and domestic animals and are commonly parasitized by ticks, which are also potential vectors of pathogenic microorganisms, such as apicomplexans and rickettsia. However, little is known about microorganisms associated with toad ticks. In this work, we molecularly evaluated the presence of Rickettsia spp. and hemogregarines in ticks of Rhinella horribilis and R. humboldti in the Colombian Caribbean, finding two different species of Rickettsia: the colombianensi strain and one close to R. bellii. In the case of hemogregarines, since only 18S gene sequences are available, it is difficult to define species and place them correctly in a phylogeny, but most of our samples show a 99% identity with Hemolivia stellata, while others identical to each other seem to form another clade within this genre. All collected ticks were identified as Amblyomma dissimile, representing the first time that H. stellata was recorded in this tick. The prevalence of both microorganisms was very high, which makes it necessary to generate robust phylogenies to clarify their taxonomic diversity and to correctly define their ecological role and pathogenicity, which should be taken into account in amphibian conservation plans and veterinary medicine.
RESUMO
Although more reptiles are illegally traded in Colombia than any other group of animals, for both local and international markets, little is known about ticks associated with reptiles or pathogens associated with these ticks. In this study, ticks were collected from reptiles in Magdalena, Cesar and La Guajira regions in northern Colombia, and identified morphologically using taxonomic keys and molecularly by sequencing of the COI gene. In addition, Rickettsia spp. were detected by PCR amplifying the gltA, 16S rRNA, and sca1 genes. Ticks were identified as Amblyomma dissimile, representing the first record for this species in 17 of the 26 species of reptiles sampled. Additionally, our data expand the distribution range for this tick in Colombia. Rickettsia spp. DNA was detected in 18 ticks (3.6%) from 16 reptiles. Sequence analyses indicated that most of the Rickettsia were members of the R. monacensis clade, most closely related to Rickettsia sp. strain Colombianensi. We detected one tick infected with a Rickettsia with 99% identity to R. bellii.