Serological evidence of exposure to tick-borne agents in opossums (Didelphis spp.) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Evidência sorológica de exposição a agentes transmitidos por carrapatos em gambás (Didelphis spp.) AbstractThis work involved a serological investigation of tick-borne pathogens in opossums in eight municipalities of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Serum samples from 109 opossums (91 Didelphis aurita and 18 Didelphis albiventris) were tested to detect antibodies to Rickettsia rickettsii (Taiaçu strain, 1:64 cut-off) and Ehrlichia canis (São Paulo strain, 1:40 cut-off), by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA); and against Borrelia burgdorferi (strain G39/40) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The presence of antibodies to anti-R. rickettsii, anti-E. canis and anti-B. burgdorferi was detected in 32 (29.35%), 16 (14.67%) and 30 (27.52%) opossums, respectively. Opossum endpoint titers ranged from 64 to 1,024 for R. rickettsii, from 40 to 160 for E. canis, and from 400 to >51,200 for B. burgdorferi. These serological results suggest that opossums have been exposed to Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and B. burgdorferi-related agents in the state of São Paulo. Our study underscores the need for further research about these agents in this study area, in view of the occurrence of Spotted Fever and Baggio-Yoshinari Syndrome disease in humans in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

Detection of Hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. in white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris) from Southern Brazil

“…The occurrence of different vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) has been reported in Didelphis sp. (MESSICK et al, 2002;CASTELLAW et al, 2011;MELO et al, 2016;SILVA et al, 2017;FERREIRA et al, 2017;LONDOÑO et al, 2017;SOARES et al, 2017). 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemodidelphis' has been solely detected in the North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana) (MESSICK et al, 2000;MESSICK et al, 2002).…”

“…and Borrelia spp. (MELO et al, 2016), to date only one opossum has been studied in this country and tested negative for hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. (SOUSA et al, 2017).…”

Detection of a putative novel genotype of Ehrlichia sp. from opossums (Didelphis aurita) from Brazil

“…have been detected in opossums from the State of São Paulo. Authors have suggested the possibility that a unclassified Ehrlichia yet to be reported circulates among these animals as cross-reactivity occurs in serological assays (MELO et al, 2016;HARRUS & WANER, 2011). Recently, Sousa et al (2017) detected Ehrlichia DNA in 23.3% of marsupials in the Pantanal, central-west region of the country.…”

Tolerance towards wildlife in the Atlantic forest: an empirical test across ecological contexts and mammal specie

“…The opossum is a common, medium-sized marsupial known to frequently attack chicks and eggs (Lobao & Nogueira-Filho, 2011). Although attacks from opossum may be frequent as the species is abundant and considered synanthropic (Horta et al, 2007;Melo et al, 2016), the impacts on people livelehoods may be low as they prey small livestock. However, the species can transmit diseases, such as Chagas' disease (Miles et al, 2003;Yeo et al, 2005) and tick typhus (Bermúdez et al, 2017), and is frequently confound with rats, being commonly repulsed by people.…”