New Genera and Species of Chiggers from Panama (Acarina: Trombiculidae)

Brennan, James M.; Jones, Eleanor K.

doi:10.2307/3274993

Cited by 15 publications

(95 citation statements)

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“…Quadraseta and Paratrombicula were less prevalent. Quadraseta , which comprises 14 species found on rodents and birds [36,37,39-44], has not been reported previously in Chile. Paratrombicula includes six species isolated from lizards and rodents; two of those ( P. chilensis and P. goffi ) have been described in central Chile, both on lizards [14,15,45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First identification of trombiculid mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) on rodents captured on Chiloé Island, an endemic region of scrub typhus in southern Chile

Acosta‐Jamett

Beltrami

Fuente

et al. 2019

Preprint

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BackgroundScrub typhus in an emerging vector-borne zoonosis, caused by Orientia spp. and transmitted by larvae of trombiculid mites, called chiggers. It mainly occurs within a certain region of the Asia-Pacific, called tsutsugamushi triangle, where rodents are known as the most relevant hosts for the trombiculid vector. The disease has recently been discovered on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Still, the reservoir(s) and vector(s) of the scrub typhus outside Asia-Pacific are unknown. The aim of the present work was to study the prevalence of chiggers on different rodent species captured in sites identified as probably hot spots of scrub typhus on Chiloé Island in southern Chile.Methodology/Principal FindingsDuring austral summer 2018, rodents were live-trapped in six sites and examined for chigger infestation. During a total of 4,713 trap-nights, 244 rodents of seven species were captured: the most abundant was Abrothrix olivacea. All study sites were rural areas on Chiloé Island, previously identified as localities of probable human infection with scrub typhus. Chiggers were detected on all seven rodent species with a 55% prevalence rate. Chiggers showed low host specificity and varied according to site specific host abundance. We identified trombiculids of three genera. Colicus was the most abundant chigger (93%), prevalent in five of six sites, followed by Quadraseta (7%) and Paratrombicula (7%), which were in only one site. Infestation rates showed site specific differences, which were statistically different using a GLM model with binomial errors.Conclusions/SignificanceThis study firstly reports the presence of different rodent-associated chigger mites in a region with endemic scrub typhus in southern Chile. Colicus and two other genera of mites were found with high infestation rates in sites previously identified as hot spots of scrub typhus, suggesting their role as vectors and reservoirs of this emerging zoonosis in South America.Author SummaryScrub typhus is a chigger-transmitted zoonotic infection, which is endemic in the tsutsugamushi triangle in Asia-Pacific. Recently, a first focus of scrub typhus in South America has been confirmed on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Still, the vectors of scrub typhus in this region remain unknown. We undertook a survey to study the prevalence of chiggers on different rodent species in areas identified as probable hot spots of scrub typhus on Chiloé Island. The study showed that 55% of rodents were infested by trombiculids. Three chigger genera were identified, of which Colicus was the most abundant. Chiggers showed low host specificity, but spatial differences. This first demonstration of rodent-associated chigger mites in hot spots of scrub typhus suggests their possible role as vectors of this infection in Chile.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First identification of trombiculid mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) on rodents captured on Chiloé Island, an endemic region of scrub typhus in southern Chile

Acosta‐Jamett

Beltrami

Fuente

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Polylopadium kramisi Brennan & Jones, 1961. Included Species. Polylopadium antioquiai Goff, 1981; Polylopadium aspasium Brennan, 1969;Polylopadium chaetolecaninum Brennan & Reed, 1972;Polylopadium (Kjellum) chocoensis Brennan, 1969;Polylopadium comptum Brennan, 1969;Polylopadium confirmatum, Brennan & Yunker, 1966;Polylopadium gibberum Brennan, 1969;Polylopadium musivum Brennan, 1969;Polylopadium tertium Brennan, 1969;Polylopadium trichoecaninum Brennan & Reed, 1972; Polylopadium peruensis n. sp.…”

Section: Polylopadium Brennan and Jones 1961mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although pygosomal plates have been described for isolated species in the genera Guntheria Womersley, 1939and Neoschoengastia Hirst, 1925in the Trombiculidae and Odontacarus Ewing, 1925 in the Leeuwenhoekiidae, the only New World genus now characterized by the presence of platelets on the idiosoma is Polylopadium Brennan & Jones, 1961. This Neotropical genus was reviewed by Brennan (1969), then containing eight species in two subgenera: Polylopadium Brennan &Jones, 1961, andKjellum Brennan, 1969. The subgenus Kjellum has seven scutal setae (paired PL setae) is monotypic and may be separated from Polylopadium species that have only Þve scutal setae.…”

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confidence: 98%

A New Species of <I>Polylopadium</I> Brennan & Jones, 1961 (Acari: Trombiculidae) from Cricetid Rodents, Peru with Description of a New Character for the Genus and a Key to the Species

Goff

Ritzi

Hice

2002

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“…

The chiggers (Acari: Trombiculidae) Blankaartia sinnamaryi (Floch et Fauran, 1956), Parasecia soucouyanti (Brennan et Yunker, 1966), Eutrombicula lipovskyana (Wolfenbarger, 1952) and Neoschoengastia dalmati Brennan, 1951 were found in Honduras on a total of twelve bird species. Parasecia soucouyanti was recorded parasitising birds for the first time.

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confidence: 99%

“…The larvae of mites of the family Trombiculidae (Acari), chiggers, are relatively well-studied parasites infesting a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including birds (Krantz and Walter 2009). Nearctic and Neotropical chiggers have been the subject of many studies in USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela, Brazil and Chile (Loomis 1956, Brennan and Dalmat 1960, Brennan and Jones 1960, Loomis and Crossley 1963, Brennan and Yunker 1966, Loomis 1969, Arnold 1970, Brennan and Reed 1974, 1975, Dohany and Cromroy 1976, Rohani and Cromroy 1979, Bennett and Loomis 1980, Hoffmann 1990, Walters et al 2011, Stekoľnikov and González-Acuňa 2015, Bassini-Silva et al 2017. Very little information on chiggers and their hosts has come from Honduras.…”

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confidence: 99%