Pesquisa de carrapatos, pulgas e agentes transmitidos por vetores em áreas florestais da Amazônia Oriental e Mata Atlântica brasileiras

Abstract

Although the Amazon Forest and the Atlantic Forest are among the most important biomes in Brazil, they are regions that suffer the consequences of human actions. This contributes to the emergence of diseases caused by pathogens, due to human contact with the area of circulation of pathogens and their vectors. This study aimed to detect hemoparasites in anthropized areas of the Amazon Forest and regions of the Atlantic Forest. Ticks were collected in a forest fragment in Pará and in the Iguaçu National Park in Paraná, as well as ticks and fleas in wild animals in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In order to obtain these ectoparasites, techniques such as dragging, flannel leggings and CO2 traps were used, as well as for inspection on wild animals. Ectoparasites were identified using taxonomic keys or molecular identification. DNA extraction was performed to assess the presence of Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp. and Piroplasmida through PCR. A total of 1.511 ticks were obtained, identified in 17 species: Amblyomma spp., A. cajennense s.s., A. calcaratum, A. geayi, A. goeldii, A. humerale, A. naponense, A. pacae, A. varium, A. sculptum, A. dubitatum, A. longirostre, A. brasiliense, A. ovale, A. incisum, A. parkeri, H. juxtakochi and A. coelebs. A total of 54 fleas were obtained, all identified asCtenocephalides felis felis. Rickettsia bellii was detected in A. varium, A. goeldii, A. dubitatum and A. pacae; Rickettsia sp. cepa AL in A. longirostre; Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale; Rickettsia felis and “Candidatus R. senegalensis” in C. f. felis; Anaplasma sp. em A. brasiliense e A. coelebs; Wolbachia sp. em C. f. felis; Borrelia sp. in A. calcaratum, A. coelebs, A. ovale and Amblyomma sp.; e Theileria sp. in A. coelebs. All samples tested were negative for Ehrlichia spp. This work brings the first record of R. bellii in A. varium and in A. goeldi; the first record of “C. R. senegalensis” in Brazil; and increases the number of tick species of the genus Amblyomma infected with Borrelia sp.