Article
Infectious Diseases
Lina C. Binder, Alejandro Ramirez-Hernandez, Maria Carolina de Azevedo Serpa, Jonas Moraes-Filho, Adriano Pinter, Claudia A. Scinachi, Marcelo B. Labruna
Summary: This study evaluated the potential of domestic dogs as amplifying hosts for R. rickettsii in A. aureolatum ticks in BSF-endemic areas. The results indicate that domestic dogs can act as amplifying hosts for R. rickettsii in A. aureolatum ticks.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Andres M. Lopez-Perez, Andrea Chaves, Sokani Sanchez-Montes, Patrick Foley, Marcela Uhart, Julio Barron-Rodriguez, Ingeborg Becker, Gerardo Suzan, Janet Foley
Summary: This study investigated the ecology of Rickettsia species in the US-Mexico transboundary region, finding multiple Rickettsia pathogens and suggesting that wild animals may serve as potential hosts for Rickettsia diseases. The presence of various Rickettsia species highlights the importance of eco-epidemiological studies and the One Health approach in understanding disease transmission in this region.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Faranak Abdoli, Ehsan Mostafavi, Saber Esmaeili, Mahdi Rohani
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in ticks in Southeastern Iran. The results showed that approximately 3.24% of the samples were positive for Rickettsia spp., with two samples closely related to R. rhipicephali and four samples closely related to R. massiliae. The findings are important for the detection and epidemiology of Rickettsia spp. in Iran, highlighting the necessity of prevention and control measures for rickettsiosis.
COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yani Zhou, Qi Wang, Yujuan Shen, Bin Shen, Yan Zhang, Weihong Wang, Xiaofeng Li
Summary: An elderly woman was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain and fever. Her condition rapidly worsened with severe complications, such as multiple organ failure and central nervous system damage. The presence of Rickettsia japonica was detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing, leading to the diagnosis of critical Japanese spotted fever. The patient was successfully treated with doxycycline and showed good prognosis. Typical symptoms (eschar and rash) were not observed in the early stage, increasing the difficulty of clinical diagnosis.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Tatiani Vitor Harvey, Pedro Marcos Linardi, Renata Santiago Alberto Carlos, Jorg Heukelbach
Summary: Tungiasis is a parasitic skin disease caused by fleas of the genus Tunga, with dogs, cats, pigs, and synanthropic rodents as the main animal reservoirs. In Brazil, Tunga penetrans is the most common species, predominantly affecting humans and pet dogs, leading to serious consequences. Poor management and hygiene habits contribute to disease spread, while strategies based on the concept of One Health can offer more effective control of tungiasis.
Article
Parasitology
Joanna Hildebrand, Agnieszka Perec-Matysiak, Marcin Popiolek, Dorota Merta, Izabella Mysliwy, Katarzyna Bunkowska-Gawlik
Summary: This study provides evidence of the occurrence of Rickettsia pathogens and endosymbionts in the European population of raccoons for the first time. Further research on different species of wild vertebrates, ticks, as potential vectors and hosts for tick-borne pathogens, is needed.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Yong Qi, Lele Ai, Jun Jiao, Junhu Wang, Deping Wu, Pengcheng Wang, Guoyu Zhang, Yong Qin, Cheng Hu, Ruichen Lv, Nianhong Lu, Changqiang Zhu, Yingqing Mao, Rui Qi, Yuexi Li, Weilong Tan
Summary: This study provides important epidemiological data on the prevalence of SFGR in ticks in Jiangsu province, Eastern China. The identification and characterization of Candidatus R. principis and Candidatus R. jingxinensis emphasize the need for attention and prevention of SFGR.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Karen O. Mathews, David Phalen, Jacqueline M. Norris, John Stenos, Jenny-Ann Toribio, Nicholas Wood, Stephen Graves, Paul A. Sheehy, Chelsea Nguyen, Katrina L. Bosward
Summary: This study assessed the exposure levels and risk factors for Rickettsia spp. among Australian wildlife rehabilitators, finding that rehabilitators are more likely to contract Rickettsia-related illnesses. However, the exact source of increased seropositivity remains unclear.
Article
Microbiology
Ilaria Pascucci, Elisa Antognini, Cristina Canonico, Marco Giuseppe Montalbano, Alessandro Necci, Alessandra di Donato, Martina Moriconi, Benedetto Morandi, Giulia Morganti, Silvia Crotti, Stefano Gavaudan
Summary: The spotted fever group of Rickettsiae is a heterogeneous group of Rickettsiae transmitted by ticks, causing similar diseases in humans. A recent study in Italy using molecular diagnostic techniques found multiple different Rickettsia species, previously not considered pathogenic, associated with human disease. This study aimed to investigate the presence of different Rickettsia species in an area where no information was available.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Michele Bahia, Lucas Teixeira da Silva, Bruno Montijo da Silva, Matheus dias Cordeiro, Alexandro Guterres, Claudia Bezerra da Silva, Jenevaldo Barbosa da Silva, Adivaldo Henrique Fonseca
Summary: The study identified 13 different strains of A. marginale, with the alpha-beta-F-F-F strain present in all animals with acute anaplasmosis and in three asymptomatic animals.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Carine Rodrigues Pereira, Izabela Regina Cardoso de Oliveira, Luciana Faria de Oliveira, Camila Stefanie Fonseca de Oliveira, Andrey Pereira Lage, Elaine Maria Seles Dorneles
Summary: The study found that nearly one third of veterinarians registered to administer vaccinations in Minas Gerais had been accidentally exposed to S19 and RB51 vaccine strains, while only about 5% of veterinarians reported having brucellosis, with nearly half of them attributing the disease to accidental exposure to anti-Brucella abortus live attenuated vaccine. Reduced knowledge of human brucellosis symptoms and lack of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) were identified as risk factors for unintentional contact with S19 and RB51 vaccine strains.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hayet Bouchaib, Achour Amrane, Jacques Sevestre, Idir Bitam, Phillipe Parola
Summary: Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF), caused by Rickettsia conorii, is an ancient tick-borne disease primarily found in the Mediterranean region. It is transmitted by the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus and typically presents with a skin rash, high fever, and characteristic eschar at the site of the tick bite. The disease can have a benign or life-threatening course, and neurological manifestations are uncommon. We report a case of isolated peripheral facial nerve palsy as a complication of R conorii conorii infection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Tetsuro Aita, Eiichiro Sando, Shungo Katoh, Sugihiro Hamaguchi, Hiromi Fujita, Noriaki Kurita
Summary: This study examined the frequency of cross-reactions to Rickettsia typhi in patients with Japanese spotted fever and evaluated the differences between two rickettsiae using antibody endpoint titers. Approximately 20% of cases showed positive cross-reactions. However, with the exception of some cases, we were able to successfully differentiate JSF from murine typhus using each endpoint titer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Maozhang He, Lifeng Zhang, Haoran Hu, Xiaohan Liu, Cong Zhang, Yu Xin, Boyu Liu, Zhen Chen, Kehan Xu, Yan Liu
Summary: In this study, a new strain of R. heilongjiangensis was isolated from a patient bitten by a Haemaphysalis longicornis tick in China. Comparative genomics analysis revealed unique genes associated with the pathogenicity of this strain. The findings suggest that this strain may represent a previously undescribed human-pathogenic lineage between R. heilongjiangensis and R. japonica.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Cristoforo Guccione, Claudia Colomba, Raffaella Rubino, Celestino Bonura, Antonio Anastasia, Stefano Agrenzano, Valentina Caputo, Giovanni Maurizio Giammanco, Antonio Cascio
Summary: Israeli spotted fever can present as a severe disease, requiring a high index of suspicion and prompt initiation of life-saving therapy. Pleural effusion and interstitial pneumonia may be part of the clinical picture of severe rickettsial disease and should not deter the physician from considering this diagnosis.
Article
Entomology
Felipe R. Jorge, Sebastian Munoz-Leal, Glauber M. B. de Oliveira, Maria Carolina A. Serpa, Meylling M. L. Magalhaes, Lorena M. B. de Oliveira, Francisco B. P. Moura, Bruno M. Teixeira, Marcelo B. Labruna
Summary: A potentially novel Borrelia organism was detected in vampire bats from the Brazilian semiarid region, forming a monophyletic group with a Borrelia associated with a Colombian bat. This discovery suggests an independent event in the evolutionary history of Borrelia in bats.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Roberta Passamani-Ambrosio, Gustavo Piraja Pereira, Ingrid Ramalho Miranda, Rafael Mazioli Barcelos, Joamyr Victor Rossoni, Yolanda Christina de Sousa Loyola, Fernanda Cristina de Abreu Quintela Castro, Fabio Antonio Colombo, Marcos Jose Marques, Emerson Assis Rodrigues, Carlos Graeff-Teixeira, Clairton Marcolongo-Pereira
Summary: This report presents a case of human bertiellosis in Brazil, emphasizing the importance of correctly identifying the parasite for providing adequate treatment.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Glauber M. B. de Oliveira, Sebastian Munoz-Leal, Adriana Santodomingo, Barbara C. Weck, alvaro A. Faccini-Martinez, Mauricio C. Horta, Marcelo B. Labruna
Summary: This study investigated borrelial infection in Ornithodoros ticks collected in rodent-inhabited rock formations in the Brazilian semiarid region. The results showed that only O. cf. tabajara ticks were infected with a novel borrelial pathogen. It was demonstrated that O. cf. tabajara is a competent vector of this new Borrelia species, but the infected rodents did not develop clinical illness.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lucianne Cardoso Neves, Warley Vieira de Freitas Paula, Luiza Gabriella Ferreira de Paula, Bianca Barbara Fonseca da Silva, Sarah Alves Dias, Brenda Gomes Pereira, Bruno Sergio Alves Silva, Anaia da Paixao Seva, Filipe Dantas-Torres, Marcelo B. Labruna, Felipe da Silva Krawczak
Summary: Human cases of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) have been recently reported in Goias state, Brazil, but the agent responsible for these cases remains unknown. In this study, antibodies against Rickettsia spp. were detected in dogs, horses, and capybaras, and rickettsial DNA was found in ticks collected from these animals and the environment. The DNA belonged to Rickettsia bellii, a species not belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG). Seroreactivity to SFG and R. bellii antigens was observed in animals, indicating the circulation of SFG rickettsiae in the region.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Shafi Ullah, Abdulaziz Alouffi, Mashal M. Almutairi, Nabila Islam, Gauhar Rehman, Zia Ul Islam, Haroon Ahmed, Itabajara da Silva Vaz, Marcelo B. Labruna, Tetsuya Tanaka, Abid Ali
Summary: Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites that can transmit life-threatening pathogens to humans and animals. This study detected Rickettsia conorii for the first time in the Hyalomma kumari ticks collected from goats and sheep in Pakistan. This finding is important for the surveillance and prevention of zoonotic diseases.
Article
Microbiology
Felipe S. Krawczak, Lina C. Binder, Fabio Gregori, Thiago F. Martins, Gracielle T. Padua, Jonas Sponchiado, Geruza L. Melo, Gina Polo, Marcelo B. Labruna
Summary: This study investigated the rickettsial infection in ticks, domestic dogs, and small mammals in a natural reserve in the Pampa biome in southern Brazil. The main vector, Amblyomma tigrinum, was not found to carry Rickettsia parkeri, but instead carried the non-pathogenic agent 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae'. The study area was determined not to be endemic for R. parkeri rickettsiosis, and a negative correlation was observed between the infection rates of R. parkeri and 'Candidatus R. andeanae' in A. tigrinum populations.
Letter
Parasitology
Sergio Bermudez, Luis Romero, Marcelo Labruna
Article
Infectious Diseases
Luis E. Romero, Lina C. Binder, Arlei Marcili, Marcelo B. Labruna
Summary: This study investigated tick infestation in domestic dogs in El Salvador and identified five tick species. It also detected three spotted fever group Rickettsia agents, suggesting the occurrence of spotted fever cases caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in El Salvador.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Joao F. Soares, Marcelo B. Labruna, Derek B. de Amorim, Vinicius Baggio-Souza, Renata Fagundes-Moreira, Aline Girotto-Soares, Barbara Weck, Pablo H. Nunes, Thiago F. Martins
Summary: Adult hard ticks were collected from great horned owls in southern Brazil in 2020. The analysis of their external morphology revealed a new tick species, named Amblyomma monteiroae n. sp. Genetic sequencing showed that this new species is closely related to Amblyomma parvitarsum Neumann, 1901. This study increases the Amblyomma tick species in Brazil to a total of 34.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hermes R. Luz, Marcelo B. Labruna, Richard C. Pacheco, Sergio L. Gianizella, Pablo H. Nunes, Matias P. J. Szabo, Monize Gerardi, Rodrigo H. F. Teixeira, Silvio C. da Silva, Louise B. Kmetiuk, Isabella P. Pesenato, Arlei Marcili, Joao L. H. Faccini, Thiago F. Martins
Summary: Abnormalities in external morphology were observed in 31 individual adult ticks of 15 different species collected from various locations in Brazil. These abnormalities included local anomalies such as malformations of body parts and general anomalies such as duplication of the opisthosoma. The findings expand the list of anomalous tick species in the Neotropics.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Shehla Shehla, Farman Ullah, Abdulaziz Alouffi, Mashal M. Almutairi, Zaibullah Khan, Tetsuya Tanaka, Marcelo B. Labruna, Kun-Hsien Tsai, Abid Ali
Summary: This study investigated the tick species infesting livestock in Pakistan and the presence of Rickettsia spp. The results showed the distribution of Rickettsia species in ticks and identified certain species that can cause zoonotic diseases.
Review
Microbiology
Jose de la Fuente, Agustin Estrada-Pena, Marta Rafael, Consuelo Almazan, Sergio Bermudez, Abdelbaset E. Abdelbaset, Paul D. Kasaija, Fredrick Kabi, Foluke Adedayo Akande, Dorcas Oluwakemi Ajagbe, Timothy Bamgbose, Srikant Ghosh, Azhahianambi Palavesam, Penny H. Hamid, Charlotte L. Oskam, Siobhon L. Egan, Amanda Duarte-Barbosa, Olcay Hekimoglu, Matias P. J. Szabo, Marcelo B. Labruna, Ananta Dahal
Summary: In this comprehensive review study, the challenge posed by ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) with growing incidence affecting global human and animal health was addressed. Data and perspectives from different countries and regions were collected to update the current situation with ticks and TBDs and highlight the existing information bias and gaps perceived by society. The study emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary and international collaborations in advancing surveillance, communication, and proposed future directions to address these challenges.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Bruna Costa da Gama, Thiago Fernandes Martins, Marcelo Bahia Labruna, Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira, Jonatas Campos de Almeida
Summary: This study investigated the presence of ticks on horses in the State of Alagoas, Brazil, and reported the presence of Amblyomma sculptum and Dermacentor nitens for the first time in the region.
Article
Agronomy
Gracielle Teles Padua, Luiza Gabriella Ferreira de Paula, Ana Carolina Borsanelli, Marcelo Bahia Labruna, Felipe da Silva Krawczak
Summary: Dermacentor nitens Neumann is a common tick species in horses in Brazil, mainly infesting the ears, nasal diverticulum, perineal and perianal regions. Infestations can cause severe damage, anemia, and can also transmit Babesia caballi. This study reports an unusual parasitic site of D. nitens on a formerly enucleated eye orbit in a female cross breed horse.
Article
Microbiology
Sandra Diaz-Sanchez, Luis M. Hernandez-Triana, Marcelo B. Labruna, Octavio Merino, Juan Mosqueda, Santiago Nava, Matias Szabo, Evelina Tarragona, Jose M. Venzal, Jose de la Fuente, Agustin Estrada-Pena
Summary: This study investigates the variability of mitochondrial and nuclear genes in the population of cattle ticks in the Neotropics. The results show that the genetic diversity does not correlate with geographic distance or environmental factors, which may be due to recent introduction of the tick, frequent population exchange, and minimal effect of climate on gene evolution rates.
