Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection
Abstract Background The tick Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (A. cajennense s.s.) frequently parasitizes animals and humans in the Amazon biome, in addition to being a vector of Rickettsia amblyommatis. In the present study, we evaluated both the population dynamics of A. cajennense s.s. in a deg...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-05978-9 |
| _version_ | 1827781241050497024 |
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| author | Flávio Eduardo Saraiva de Araújo Thiago Fernandes Martins Carlos Celso Mendonça Ramos Rafael Michael Silva Nogueira João Luiz Horacio Faccini Mariana Avelar Tavares Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima Eduardo Bezerra de Almeida Júnior Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula Filipe Dantas-Torres Felipe da Silva Krawczak Livio Martins Costa-Junior Marcelo Bahia Labruna Leonardo Teixeira Dall′Agnol Hermes Ribeiro Luz |
| author_facet | Flávio Eduardo Saraiva de Araújo Thiago Fernandes Martins Carlos Celso Mendonça Ramos Rafael Michael Silva Nogueira João Luiz Horacio Faccini Mariana Avelar Tavares Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima Eduardo Bezerra de Almeida Júnior Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula Filipe Dantas-Torres Felipe da Silva Krawczak Livio Martins Costa-Junior Marcelo Bahia Labruna Leonardo Teixeira Dall′Agnol Hermes Ribeiro Luz |
| author_sort | Flávio Eduardo Saraiva de Araújo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The tick Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (A. cajennense s.s.) frequently parasitizes animals and humans in the Amazon biome, in addition to being a vector of Rickettsia amblyommatis. In the present study, we evaluated both the population dynamics of A. cajennense s.s. in a degraded area of the Amazon biome and the presence of rickettsial organisms in this tick population. Methods The study was carried out in a rural area of the Santa Inês municipality (altitude: 24 m a.s.l.), Maranhão state, Brazil. Ticks were collected from the environment for 24 consecutive months, from June 2021 to May 2023. The region is characterized by two warm seasons: a rainy season (November–May) and a dry season (June–October). We characterized the temporal activity of A. cajennense s.s. on the vegetation by examining questing activity for each life stage (larvae, nymphs, adults [males and females]) in relation to the dry and rainy season. Ticks collected in this study were randomly selected and individually tested by a TaqMan real-time PCR assay that targeted a 147-bp fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene. Results Overall, 1843 (62.4%) adults (52.6% females, 47.4% males), 1110 (37.6%) nymphs and 398 larval clusters were collected. All adult females and nymphs were morphologically identified as A. cajennense s.s. Larval activity was observed from April to December, with a peak from June to September (dry season); nymph abundance peaked from September to November (transition period between dry and rainy seasons); and adult ticks were abundant from October to May (spring/summer/early autumn). The infection rate by R. amblyommatis in A. cajennense s.s. ticks was at least 7% (7/99). Conclusion Our data suggest a 1-year generation pattern for A. cajennense s.s., with a well-defined seasonality of larvae, nymphs and adults in the Amazon biome. Larvae predominate during the dry season, nymphs are most abundant in the dry-rainy season transition and adults are most abundant in the rainy season. The presence of R. amblyommatis in adult ticks suggests that animals and humans in the study region are at risk of infection by this species belonging to the spotted fever group of Rickettsia. Graphical Abstract |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:16:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b109d04f5f434e06886772c14176340c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:16:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-b109d04f5f434e06886772c14176340c2023-10-29T12:16:17ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052023-10-0116111310.1186/s13071-023-05978-9Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infectionFlávio Eduardo Saraiva de Araújo0Thiago Fernandes Martins1Carlos Celso Mendonça Ramos2Rafael Michael Silva Nogueira3João Luiz Horacio Faccini4Mariana Avelar Tavares5Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima6Eduardo Bezerra de Almeida Júnior7Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula8Filipe Dantas-Torres9Felipe da Silva Krawczak10Livio Martins Costa-Junior11Marcelo Bahia Labruna12Leonardo Teixeira Dall′Agnol13Hermes Ribeiro Luz14Post-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Federal University of MaranhãoPasteur Institute, São Paulo State Department of HealthPost-Graduation Program in Animal Health Defense, State University of MaranhãoPost-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Federal University of MaranhãoPost-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of MaranhãoVeterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of GoiásVeterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of GoiásPost-Graduation Program in Biodiversity and Conservation, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of MaranhãoTick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesDepartment of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz)Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of GoiásPost-Graduation Program in Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Biodiversity and Conservation, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of MaranhãoDepartment of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São PauloPost-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Federal University of MaranhãoPost-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Federal University of MaranhãoAbstract Background The tick Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (A. cajennense s.s.) frequently parasitizes animals and humans in the Amazon biome, in addition to being a vector of Rickettsia amblyommatis. In the present study, we evaluated both the population dynamics of A. cajennense s.s. in a degraded area of the Amazon biome and the presence of rickettsial organisms in this tick population. Methods The study was carried out in a rural area of the Santa Inês municipality (altitude: 24 m a.s.l.), Maranhão state, Brazil. Ticks were collected from the environment for 24 consecutive months, from June 2021 to May 2023. The region is characterized by two warm seasons: a rainy season (November–May) and a dry season (June–October). We characterized the temporal activity of A. cajennense s.s. on the vegetation by examining questing activity for each life stage (larvae, nymphs, adults [males and females]) in relation to the dry and rainy season. Ticks collected in this study were randomly selected and individually tested by a TaqMan real-time PCR assay that targeted a 147-bp fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene. Results Overall, 1843 (62.4%) adults (52.6% females, 47.4% males), 1110 (37.6%) nymphs and 398 larval clusters were collected. All adult females and nymphs were morphologically identified as A. cajennense s.s. Larval activity was observed from April to December, with a peak from June to September (dry season); nymph abundance peaked from September to November (transition period between dry and rainy seasons); and adult ticks were abundant from October to May (spring/summer/early autumn). The infection rate by R. amblyommatis in A. cajennense s.s. ticks was at least 7% (7/99). Conclusion Our data suggest a 1-year generation pattern for A. cajennense s.s., with a well-defined seasonality of larvae, nymphs and adults in the Amazon biome. Larvae predominate during the dry season, nymphs are most abundant in the dry-rainy season transition and adults are most abundant in the rainy season. The presence of R. amblyommatis in adult ticks suggests that animals and humans in the study region are at risk of infection by this species belonging to the spotted fever group of Rickettsia. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-05978-9Amblyomma cajennenseIxodidaePopulation dynamicsRickettsiaAmazon regionBrazil |
| spellingShingle | Flávio Eduardo Saraiva de Araújo Thiago Fernandes Martins Carlos Celso Mendonça Ramos Rafael Michael Silva Nogueira João Luiz Horacio Faccini Mariana Avelar Tavares Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima Eduardo Bezerra de Almeida Júnior Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula Filipe Dantas-Torres Felipe da Silva Krawczak Livio Martins Costa-Junior Marcelo Bahia Labruna Leonardo Teixeira Dall′Agnol Hermes Ribeiro Luz Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection Parasites & Vectors Amblyomma cajennense Ixodidae Population dynamics Rickettsia Amazon region Brazil |
| title | Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection |
| title_full | Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection |
| title_short | Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection |
| title_sort | seasonal dynamics of amblyomma cajennense fabricius 1787 sensu stricto in a degraded area of the amazon biome with notes on rickettsia amblyommatis infection |
| topic | Amblyomma cajennense Ixodidae Population dynamics Rickettsia Amazon region Brazil |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-05978-9 |
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