Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Ixodida: Ixodidae): human parasitism and the first record from the Acre State, Western Brazilian Amazon

Vanessa L De Souza,Marcos S De Lima,José R L De Souza,José R O Da Silva,Thiago F Martins,Franscio E Da Costa

doi:10.37486/2675-1305.ec04005

Abstract

The Cayenne tick, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), parasitizes a range of vertebrate hosts, including humans, accidentally. Infestation by this species has important implications for public health, given that these ticks habitually bite humans and may act as the vectors of several pathogens. Here, we present a detailed case of human parasitism by A. cajennense and provide the first record of the occurrence of the species in the state of Acre, Brazil.

Highlights

The Cayenne tick, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), parasitizes a range of vertebrate hosts, including humans, accidentally
We report the first case of the parasitism of a human by a tick in this state and provide the first record of the occurrence of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) in Acre, in western Brazilian Amazon
The Cayenne tick, A. cajennense, is known to parasitize a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including humans, accidentally (Guglielmone et al 2006; Luz et al 2020). This ixodid is part of a species complex, which includes five other taxa – Amblyomma interandinum Beati, Nava & Cáceres, 2014, Amblyomma mixtum Koch, 1844, Amblyomma patinoi Labruna, Nava & Beati, 2014, Amblyomma sculptum (Berlese, 1888), and Amblyomma tonelliae Nava, Beati & Labruna, 2014 (Nava et al 2014; Martins et al 2016). The ticks of this group represent an important concern for public health, given their habit of biting humans and the fact that they may act as the vectors of several different pathogens (Guglielmone et al 2014; Martins et al 2016; Labruna et al 2017)

Summary

Introduction

The Cayenne tick, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), parasitizes a range of vertebrate hosts, including humans, accidentally. The scarcity of reports of the parasitism of humans by ticks in the Brazilian state of Acre may be at least partly related to the lack of knowledge of the local population on the potential health risks of exposure to these parasites. We report the first case of the parasitism of a human by a tick in this state and provide the first record of the occurrence of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) in Acre, in western Brazilian Amazon.

Results

Conclusion