Fauna, sazonalidade e riquetsias de carrapatos em área do Cerrado goiano

Abstract

Aiming contributing to the description of species and of the ecology of ticks and Rickettsia in the Cerrado (savannah) this research was conducted in private farm and surroundings in Araguapaz county, Goiás. Overall eleven samplings, eight in consecutive seasons in three phytofisiognomies, were done along four years. Ticks were collected from the environment, domestic animals, birds and small mammals and Rickettsia DNA was searched for in a sample of this ectoparasites. Amblyomma sculptum, A. ovale, A. parvum, A. naponense, A. rotundatum and Ornithodoros sp. were collected from the environment and gallery forests exhibited the overall highest infestation and tick species diversity. A. sculptum ticks exhibited a seasonal pattern with larvae and nymphs prevailing in the driest seasons and adults in most humid ones. Dogs were parasitized by A. sculptum, A. ovale, A. parvum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus; horses by A. sculptum, Dermacentor nitens and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus; cattle by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, and A. sculptum. A. sculptum and A. nodosum nymphs were collected from birds and A. parvum nymphs, Amblyomma sp. and Ornithodoros sp. larvae from small mammals. Unplanned tick collections from reptiles yielded A. rotundatum nymphs and adults as well as Amblyomma sp. larvae. Two spotted fever Rickettsia species were identified; R. amblyommii and candidatus R. andeanae both in A. parvum as well as R. bellii in A. rotundatum. The Ornithodoros sp. tick found diverge both morphologically and genetically from known species and a new tick species may be supposed. Broadly it is evident that in the studied area animals are exposed to a higher macroparasite (ticks) and microparasites (bactéria) that those from more anthroposized areas. The role of such higher parasite diversity in the development or prevention of diseases should be further investigated.