Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in wild animals treated at the Federal University of Lavras, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Luisa B Beltrame,Thiago F Martins,Antônio Guimarães,Samantha M Favoretto,Leopoldo F De O Bernardi,Marcelo B Labruna

doi:10.37486/2675-1305.ec03036

Luisa B Beltrame, Thiago F Martins + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.37486/2675-1305.ec03036

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Abstract

Ticks have a great diversity of hosts, many of which are still being discovered. These parasites may be responsible for the transmission of several pathogens to animals and humans. For this reason, knowledge on tick species and their hosts is essential for planning actions in public health and fauna conservation. From February 2018 to July 2019, ticks found in animals treated at the Wild Animal Clinic of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) were surveyed. Animals came from nine municipalities at the southern region of Minas Gerais State, all close to the municipality of Lavras. During veterinary procedures the animals were inspected, and tick specimens were removed from the hosts’ skins with the help of tweezers, and posteriorly identified. One hundred and three specimens of ticks were removed from the hosts and allocated in five species of Amblyomma Koch, 1844 (Ixodidae) [A. nodosum (Neumann, 1899), A. sculptum Berlese, 1888, A. aureolatum (Pallas, 1772), A. calcaratum Neumann, 1899, and A. ovale (Koch, 1844)] and one of Rhipicephalus Latreille, 1806 [R. (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini, 1888)]. Ticks were collected from: Cariama cristata (Linnaeus, 1766) (Cariamidae); Cerdocyon thous Linnaeus, 1766 and Chrysocyon brachyurus Illiger,1815 (Canidae); Leopardus pardalis Linnaeus, 1758 (Felidae); Mazama gouazoubira Fischer, 1814 (Cervidae); Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 (Myrmecophagidae); Sphiggurus villosus (F. Cuvier, 1823) (Erethizontidae). In this study no new parasite-host relationships were found, however, wild animals can be vectors of important diseases, and monitoring the occurrence of ectoparasites in wildlife is a significant step in public health policies.

Highlights

Ticks have a great diversity of hosts, many of which are still being discovered
Ectoparasites have an important role in animal and human health, since they may act as potential vectors for several pathogens, including those responsible for zoonoses (Dantas-Torres et al 2012)
From February 2018 to July 2019, ticks found in animals treated at the Wild Animal Clinic of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais State were surveyed

Summary

Introduction

Ticks have a great diversity of hosts, many of which are still being discovered. These parasites may be responsible for the transmission of several pathogens to animals and humans. One hundred and three specimens of ticks of the order Ixodida (family Ixodidae) were collected from 16 individuals of vertebrates, which included the following species: Red-legged Seriema, Cariama cristata (Linnaeus, 1766) (Cariamiformes: Cariamidae); Crab-eating Fox, Cerdocyon thous Linnaeus, 1766 (Carnivora: Canidae); Maned Wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus Illiger, 1815 (Carnivora: Canidae); Oncelot, Leopardus pardalis Linnaeus, 1758 (Carnivora: Felidae); Gray Brocket, Mazama gouazoubira Fischer, 1814 (Artiodactyla: Cervidae); Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 (Pilosa: Myrmecophagidae); and Orange-spined Hairy Dwarf Porcupine, Sphiggurus villosus Hosts came from 12 cities in Minas Gerais State: Alterosa, Boa Esperança, Campanha, Campo do Meio, Carmo da Cachoeira, Ijací, Lambari, Lavras, Nepomuceno, Oliveira, Pedralva, and Três Pontas (Tab. 1, Fig. 1).

Results

Conclusion