Abstract
This is a report of tick species, parasite prevalence and infestation intensity of birds in a forest fragment (18° 56' 57'' S and 48° 12' 14'' W) within the Brazilian cerrado (savanna), in the municipality of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 162 birds from 26 species were captured. One adult tick, 296 larvae and 67 nymphs were found on passerine birds. Of these, it was identified 31 larvae and 27 nymphs of Amblyomma longirostre, 17 nymphs of A. nodosum, one A. cajennense larvae and one male of Rhipicephalus sanguineus. All other ticks were identified as Amblyomma sp. larvae (n = 264) or nymphs (n = 26). Overall tick infestation intensity and prevalence were 4.32 ticks/infested bird and 52%, respectively. Sampling of host-seeking ticks on the ground within the forest during a two-year period showed only five Amblyomma sp. nymphs and one adult male of A. nodosum whereas a search for ticks on domestic animals (cattle, horses and dogs) found Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks. Although identification was possible in only 27% of bird ticks there seemed to be no correlation between environmental and domestic animal and bird infestation. It can be assumed that bird infestation may occur above the ground or at specific sites not sampled.
Highlights
Ticks are major vectors of several infectious diseases for domestic and wild animals as well as for humans
Four tick species were identified from birds in the forest patch format the study site
There are several previous records of A. cajennense immature ticks on birds but Labruna et al (2007) highlighted that these reports require further evaluation since larvae and nymphs were not identified by current reliable methods for this species
Summary
Ticks are major vectors of several infectious diseases for domestic and wild animals as well as for humans. Tick mobility is very restricted and these parasites rely on hosts for their dispersal. Birds are undoubtedly among a tick host with the highest mobility and may be regarded as with the highest potential for tick as well as tick-borne disease dispersal. There are a few reports and more recently, a few systematic studies involving both host species and ecological data but they are restricted to parks in South Brazil or Atlantic rainforest (ARZUA; BARROS-BATTESTI, 2003; ARZUA et al, 2003; MARINI et al, 1996; LABRUNA et al, 2007; OGRZEWALSKA, 2009; OGRZEWALSKA et al, 2008, 2009). The second largest biome in Brazil, the “cerrado” (savanna), has been neglected in this regard
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