Long-term persistence of anti-Rickettsia rickettsii antibodies in capybaras, with passive transfer to offspring

Abstract

The bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii is the etiological agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), and its most important vector to humans in Brazil is the tick Amblyomma sculptum. Capybaras are the main hosts of A. sculptum in many BSF-endemic areas and are considered valuable sentinels for BSF surveillance. This study aimed to assess the persistence of anti-R. rickettsii antibodies for long periods in capybaras and their passive transfer to offspring. For this purpose, three adult capybaras previously exposed to multiple infections with R. rickettsii were followed up until 3.1 years after their last exposure. During the study, one female delivered five cubs, of which three survived. Blood samples were collected monthly from adults and infants, and serum samples were titrated by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) to determine endpoint titers of anti-R. rickettsii antibodies. All three adults remained seroreactive to R. rickettsii with high endpoint titers until the end of the study. All infants were seroreactive to R. rickettsii after birth and remained seroreactive for one to four months. This study showed that exposure of capybaras to R. rickettsii-infected A. sculptum ticks elicits a persistent antibody response. In addition, there was evidence of passive transfer of R. rickettsii-reactive antibodies to offspring.