Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) as a parasite of pampas deer (Ozoctoceros bezoarticus)

Abstract

Rhipicephalus AbstractIn the Pantanal, domestic and wild animals share the same habitats; their parasites and environment interact in a complex and dynamic way. The Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is the most important cattle tick in Brazil. In the past two decades, some traditional management practices are being replaced with the aim of intensifying cattle production. Forested areas are being replaced by exotic pasture and ranch owners are replacing Nelore for European breeds. The pampas deer (Ozoctoceros bezoarticus) is a medium-sized cervid that occurs in grasslands of South America. Between December 2005 and January 2007, we captured and collected ticks from 15 pampas deer and 172 bovines. The abundance, intensity, and prevalence of ticks found in cattle were lower than those in pampas deer (p < 0.05), indicating that pampas deer is more susceptible than cattle. The high number of engorged females collected from pampas deer, their capacity to lay eggs, and the percentage of eclosion indicates that the pampas deer population in the Pantanal wetlands is sufficient to maintain the R. (B.) microplus, thus playing a important role in the transmission of ticks and tick-borne diseases. The recent deforestation to introduce Brachiaria sp. and European cattle needs to be carefully evaluated to prevent economic losses to the cattle industry and damage to the wildlife in Pantanal.

Current status of ticks and tick-host relationship in domestic and wild animals from Pantanal wetlands in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

“…I). On the other hand the pampas deer have 76% prevalence and the rate of ticks was 9.7 ticks/animal (Cançado et al, 2009).…”

“…In this period, the deer are in poor health conditions in which lower resistance possibly accounts for the apparent increase in tick population (Cançado et al, 2009). Ticks have been found around the base of growing antlers in an area of high blood flow.…”

“…Along with the high-speed development of cattle production and ecotourism, these circumstances have made the Pantanal into a hotspot for emerging and re-emerging parasitic diseases. Cançado et al (2008Cançado et al ( , 2009 showed different aspects of the impact of cattle production on tick populations in the field and some implication for wildlife in the Pantanal. Few studies have been conducted in the Pantanal concerning ticks and tick-borne diseases.…”

“…Therefore, tick fauna and its potential to transmit or maintain disease are almost unknown. Nevertheless, the following papers show a huge diversity of ticks (Machado et al, 1985;Ito et al, 1998;Pereira et al, 2000;Martins et al, 2004;Labruna et al, 2005;Cançado et al, 2008) and the introduced Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini, 1887) has been found on wild animals (Ito et al, 1998;Pereira et al, 2000;Cançado et al, 2009), although most of these papers were based on occasionally collected samples and did not allow adequate analysis of the dynamics of the environment and tick-host relationships.…”

Detection of Theileria and Babesia in brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) and marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…Ticks of the species Rhipicephalus microplus, Dermacentor nitens, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma mantiqueirense, Haemaphysalis kohlsi, Ixodes luciae and Ixodes aragoi have been variously found in the cervids M. gouazoubira, B. dichotomus and O. bezoarticus (Aragão and Fonseca, 1961;Serra-Freire and Teixeira, 1993;Szabó et al, 2003;Duarte, 1997;Canç ado et al, 2009).…”