Borrelia sp. in naturally infected Didelphis aurita (Wied, 1826) (marsupialia: didelphidae)

Abstract

Fifty-six opossums (Didelphis aurita) were captured on the campus of Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica county, Rio de Janeiro state, in order to investigate the occurrence of Borrelia sp among them in relation with the study of spirochaetemia and its ectoparasites. Blood tests were made through dark field and phase contrast microscopy, as well as the obtainment of blood smears. Smears were stained with Giemsa stain, which did not prove efficacy. There was no relation between results obtained through blood tests (13 opossum positive for Borreliasp.), and this technique (two positive animals). Parasitaemia studies of 37 animals kept in captivity as well as of several recaptures in which animals once negative proved to be positive days later, showed that haemoscopical studies could be used as an effective diagnosis tool. Ectoparasites from nine animals were classified; with the occurrence of nymphal Amblyomma cajennense and adult Ctenocephalides sp..<br>Cinquenta e seis gambás (Didelphis aurita) foram capturados no campus da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica - Rio de Janeiro, com o intuito de se investigar a ocorrência de Borrelia sp. entre eles, associada ao estudo da espiroquetemia e de seus ectoparasitos. Amostras de sangue dos animais foram examinadas à microscopia de campo escuro e contraste de fase, além deste ter se destinado à obtenção de esfregaços sanguíneos, corados pelo método de Giemsa. Não houve relação entre os resultados obtidos através dos exames diretos do sangue (13 gambás positivos para Borrelia sp.) e aqueles observados nos esfregaços sanguíneos (dois animais positivos), o que demonstra a baixa eficácia desta técnica. Estudos sobre a parasitemia de 37 animais mantidos em cativeiro, assim como as várias recapturas nas quais animais uma vez negativos mostraram-se positivos dias mais tarde, revelaram que os estudos hemoscópicos podem ser utilizados eficientemente como ferramentas de diagnóstico. Ectoparasitos colhidos de nove animais foram classificados. Houve ocorrência de ninfas Amblyomma cajennense e adultos Ctenocephalides sp

Molecular evidence of Bartonella spp. in free-living opossums (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) from peri-urban Atlantic Forest fragments of Brazil

“…Little is known about wild reservoirs of these bacteria in Brazil, but recently, a study reported B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae in domestic cats from an Atlantic Forest area of Rio de Janeiro state (RJ), where humans, domestic, synanthropic and wild animals can easily interact (Silva et al, 2019). Opossums are often identified as likely maintainers of infectious agents with zoonotic potential (Abel et al, 2000;Ruiz-Piñaand Cruz-Reyes, 2002;Fornazari et al, 2011;Pena et al, 2011).…”

Ectoparasites from small mammals from the Cerrado region in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil

“…Besides being an important component of the ecosystem and part of biodiversity, some of these ectoparasites have an extreme epidemiological importance as they act as vectors and host of various pathogenic for humans microorganisms causing world known serious diseases such as murine typhus, bubonic plague, tularemia or Lyme disease (Baker & Wharton 1952, Abel et al 2000. Although the ectoparasites of small mammals have ecologic, economic and public health importance, there are not many studies in Brazil (Graciolli et al 2006).…”