BackgroundUntil recently, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) was considered to represent a single tick species in the New World. Recent studies have split this taxon into six species. While the A. cajennense species complex or A. cajennense (sensu lato) (s.l.) is currently represented by two species in Brazil, A. cajennense (sensu stricto) (s.s.) and Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888, their geographical distribution is poorly known.MethodsThe distribution of the A. cajennense (s.l.) in Brazil was determined by morphological examination of all lots of A. cajennense (s.l.) in two large tick collections of Brazil, and by collecting new material during three field expeditions in the possible transition areas between the distribution ranges of A. cajennense (s.s.) and A. sculptum. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from the ITS2 rRNA gene was used to validate morphological results. Morphological description of the nymphal stage of A. cajennense (s.s.) is provided based on laboratory-reared specimens.ResultsFrom the tick collections, a total 12,512 adult ticks were examined and identified as 312 A. cajennense (s.s.), 6,252 A. sculptum and 5,948 A. cajennense (s.l.). A total of 1,746 ticks from 77 localities were collected during field expeditions, and were identified as 249 A. cajennense (s.s.), 443 A. sculptum, and 1,054 A. cajennense (s.l.) [these A. cajennense (s.l.) ticks were considered to be males of either A. cajennense (s.s.) or A. sculptum]. At least 23 localities contained the presence of both A. cajennense (s.s.) and A. sculptum in sympatry. DNA sequences of the ITS2 gene of 50 ticks from 30 localities confirmed the results of the morphological analyses. The nymph of A. cajennense (s.s.) is morphologically very similar to A. sculptum.ConclusionOur results confirmed that A. cajennense (s.l.) is currently represented in Brazil by only two species, A. cajennense (s.s.) and A. sculptum. While these species have distinct distribution areas in the country, they are found in sympatry in some transition areas. The current distribution of A. cajennense (s.l.) has important implications to public health, since in Brazil A. sculptum is the most important vector of the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiological agent of Brazilian spotted fever.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1460-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Besides presenting zoonotic potential, helminths of cats are responsible for gastrointestinal, hepatic, and pulmonary diseases. In order to identify the helminthic fauna, prevalence, mean intensity of parasitism (MIP), and mean abundance population (MAP), 146 cats from the metropolitan area of Cuiabá, Midwestern Brazil, were necropsied. In 98 these animals, 12 species of helminths were identified, comprising (species, prevalence, MIP, and MAP, respectively): nematodes (Ancylostoma braziliense [50,68% -53,64 -27,18], Ancylostoma tubaeforme [10,27% -3,6 -0,37], Toxocara cati [4,11% -28,33 -1,16] . Ancylostoma spp., and P. fastosum were the most prevalent with the highest MIP and MAP. We observed the presence of species of helminths with zoonotic potential. This is the first time cats parasitized with Centrorhynchus erraticus are reported in the Americas. That genus is commonly observed in wild animals.Keywords: Identification, quantification, parasitism, Centrorhynchus, zoonosis, prevalence. ResumoHelmintos de gatos são causadores de doenças gastrintestinais, hepáticas e pulmonares, além de apresentarem potencial zoonótico. Com objetivo de identificar a helmintofauna, prevalência, intensidade média de parasitismo (IMP) e abundância média populacional (AMP) foram necropsiados 146 gatos da região metropolitana de Cuiabá, centro-oeste do Brasil. Foram identificadas em 98 animais 12 espécies de helmintos compreendendo (respectivamente espécie, prevalência, IMP e AMP): nematódeos (Ancylostoma braziliense [50,68% -53,64 -27,18], Ancylostoma tubaeforme [10,27% -3,6 -0,37], Toxocara cati [4,11% -28,33 -1,16], Physaloptera praeputialis [2,05% -6,67 -0,14], Capillaria feliscati [3,42% -7,4 -0,25]

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Brazilian Spotted Fever (BSF) is an often fatal zoonosis caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. The disease is generally transmitted to humans by Amblyomma spp. ticks. Serological evidence of past infection by R. rickettsii has been reported in horses, but the pathogenicity of R. rickettsii in horses remains unknown. Cart horses are still widely used in urban and urban fringe areas in Brazil, and these animals may constitute suitable sentinels for BSF human in these areas, for example, in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, where the first BSF human case in the state of Parana was diagnosed. Serum samples were randomly obtained from 75 cart horses between April 2005 and June 2006 and were tested by means of the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for antibodies against rickettsia of the spotted fever group. A total of 9.33% of the animals were considered positive, with titers ranging from 64 to 1,024. These results indicate the presence of the agent in such areas, although at low rates.

This study had the purpose to compare the occurrence of Leishmania spp. in felines through two methods (cytological and serological), as well as to associate the occurrence of this protozoan with the sex, age and breed variables. Serum samples from 283 domestic felines were processed by means of Indirect Immunofluorescence Reaction (IIR), and the direct parasitological test for linfonodes was also carried out in order to verify positivity for Leishmania spp. Occurrence of 0.7% (2/283) was observed in the tested felines by means of linfonode imprinting and no animal showed title of antibodies for Leishmania spp. The two positive females were mongrel, a young female and an adult female feline. From the obtained results, no statistically significant difference was observed as regards the sex, breed and age variables in this research (p > 0.05). Occurrence of Leishmania spp. in the cats of this study was low. Such low incidence suggests that these hosts has no epidemiological relevance in the study area.

Com o objetivo de obtermos isolados de Rickettsia spp. para confirmar as evidências sobre o papel do A. dubitatum e do A. triste na transmissão de riquétsia do GFM no Brasil e Uruguai, respectivamente, realizou-se em áreas endêmicas para febre maculosa nesses dois países, a avaliação da presença de riquétsia em carrapatos da espécie A. dubitatum no município de Pedreira, estado de São Paulo e em carrapatos da espécie A. triste, em uma área suburbana no sudeste do Uruguai, além da tentativa de isolamento em cultivo de células Vero e posterior caracterização molecular de isolados provenientes dessas duas espécies de carrapatos. Foram coletados um total de 841 (367 machos e 474 fêmeas) carrapatos adultos da espécie A. dubitatum e 78 (25 machos e 53 fêmeas) amostras de A. triste, os quais foram submetidos ao teste de hemolinfa. Todas as amostras foram submetidas à extração de DNA e testadas pela técnica da PCR para o gene gltA, presente em todas as espécies de riquétsias. Dos 841 A. dubitatum colhidos, em 153 (18,18%) amostras de hemolinfa foram observados organismos morfologicamente compatíveis com riquétsias, 452 foram negativas (53,74%) e 236 (28,06%) amostras de carrapatos foram inconclusivas. Todas as 78 amostras de carrapatos da espécie A. triste provenientes do Uruguai foram negativas no teste de hemolinfa. Dos 841 A. dubitatum, um total de 378 (44,94%) amostras foram positivas para o gene gltA e, posteriormente, foram testadas para o gene ompA, sendo que nenhuma das amostras foi positiva. Dos 378 A. dubitatum positivos na PCR, o produto amplificado de 93 foi seqüenciado, sendo todos identificados como Rickettsia bellii de acordo com seqüências disponíveis no GenBank. Das 78 amostras de carrapatos da espécie A. triste, provenientes do Uruguai, duas amostras, denominadas de carrapatos #5 e #35, foram positivas na PCR e, submetidas à tentativa de isolamento em células Vero, pela técnica de "shell vial". O estabelecimento do isolado de riquétsia somente foi obtido com sucesso do carrapato #5, sendo este isolado designado de At#5-URG, o qual foi depositado como amostra de referência em nosso laboratório. Amostras de DNA do isolado At#5-URG foram testadas para uma bateria de oligonucleotídeos iniciadores objetivando a amplificação de fragmentos de mais três genes de riquétsias: gltA, ompB e ompA, os quais foram, posteriormente seqüenciados e os fragmentos de 1.084, 775 e 491 nucleotídeos dos genes gltA, ompB e ompA, respectivamente, foram obtidos e mostraram 100% de identidade com as seqüências correspondentes disponíveis no GenBank para a cepa Maculatum de Rickettsia parkeri dos EUA. Palavras-chave: Carrapatos. Amblyomma dubitatum. Amblyomma triste. Rickettsia bellii. Rickettsia parkeri.

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A new species of nematode, Pterygodermatites (Paucipectines) sinopiensis n. sp. is described based on specimens recovered from the intestine of the white-bellied woolly mice opossum, Marmosa constantiae, trapped in the municipality of Sinop, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. The genus Pterygodermatites has 21 species described in mammals worldwide, and to date, only two species have been described for marsupials in Brazil. The new species is characterized by the presence of 23 small denticles and by the presence of 38–40 and 65 pairs of the cuticular processes in male and female species, respectively. Additionally, male species possess three ventral precloacal fans, and in female species, the cuticular processes are divided into 41 pairs of comb-like and 24 pairs of spine-like processes; the vulva opens approximately in pair 41. This study describes the parasite species fifth of marsupials in the Neotropical region.