Tick fauna of wild animals received and attended at the Santarém Zoological Park, western Pará State, Brazil

Abstract

Ticks are known worldwide for parasitizing a number of wild hosts. However, few studies have been conducted on ticks in zoos in Brazil. The objective of the present study was to collect, identify, and report the parasitic tick fauna found on wild Amazon animals received and attended at the Santarém Zoological Park from September 2004 to September 2013. In all, 56 animals, including 26 mammals and 30 reptiles, were sampled, from which 1172 ticks were collected and identified, comprising 862 adults, 284 nymphs, and 26 larvae. Nymphs of Amblyomma geayi on three-toed sloth (Bradypus tridactylus), adults of Amblyomma longirostre on black dwarf porcupine (Coendou nycthemera), and nymphs of Amblyomma naponense on southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) were identified for the first time in the country in the present study. Although, the North region is the largest among the five Brazilian regions, this is the first study conducted with ticks and animals attended in a zoo in the Brazilian Amazon.

Role of Zoo-Housed Animals in the Ecology of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens—A Review

“…The majority of tick species found on animals housed in zoos and botanical gardens of Southern America, Brazil in particular, belong to the genus Amblyomma . In the Northern regions of Brazil A. geayi, A. varium, A. longirostre have been confirmed as vectors of Rickttsia amblyommatis [ 29 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. A. varium, A. nodosum and A. humerale are able to transmit Rickettsia bellii [ 29 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ].…”

“…In Southern America, Brazilian zoo-animal infection cases have been connected to the following tick species of the Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus genera: A. dubitatum , A. calcaratum , A. aureolatum , A. sculptum or R. sanguineus in Southeastern regions of Brazil [ 21 ]. More Amblyomma species were collected from animals kept in zoos located in Northern and Northwestern Brazil: A. dissimile , A. variatum , A. geayi , A. longirostre , A. goeldii , A. humerale , A. naponense or A. nodosum [ 29 , 30 ]. In Europe, Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick found in zoos and wildlife parks or farms [ 20 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Ticks from the Brazilian Amazon: Species, Distribution and Host-Relations

“…According to Luz et al [29] 12 (54.5%) out of 22 Rhinella marina toads captured in Amapá state, were parasitized by a total of 97 ticks (6 males, 39 females, 31 nymphs, 21 larvae) and mean intensity of 8.1 ticks per infested toad. In the Amazonian biome, A. dissimile is common on R. marina (Anura) and Boidae (Squamata) ( Table 1) [32,33,36,37] Crotalus durissus 1M; 1F [34] Lachesis muta 1 [34] Elapidae Micrurus averyi 3F [31] Micrurus lemniscatus 12M; 9F [31] Colubridade Leptophis ahaetulla 3 [33] Chironius multiventris 3 [33] Chironius scurrulus 1M; 1F [34] Chironius laevicollis 12 15M; 6F [31] Mastigodryas boddaerti 1 [33] Hydrodynastes gigas 1 7F [30] Helicops polylepis 1 [34] Leptodeira annulata 1 [34] Phimophis guerini 1F [34] Erythrolamprus reginae 1 [34] Spilotes pullatus 72 42M; 9F [31] Erythrolamprus reginae semilineatus 1 [34] Dipsadidae Xenodon severus 8 [40] Testudinidae Chelonoidis denticulatus 3M 3 2M; 42F [31,41] Chelonoidis carbonaria 1 1M; 1F 11 [32,39] Podocnemididae Podocnemis expansa 1F [39] Podocnemis unifilis 1 [39] Trachemys dorbigni 2 12F [39] Kinosternidae Kinosternon scorpioides 2F [42] including pre-attachment periods for each parasitic stage lasts approximately 350 days, as reported by Schumaker et al [43] who started a colony from one engorged female collected from the Amazonian biome. Ogrzewalska et al [37] reported Rickettsia bellii and 'Candidatus Rickettsia colombianensi' in ticks collected from Bothrops atrox from Pará state.…”

“…Equus caballus ,4,7,9 Myrmecophaga tridactyla 9 MA 4 , RO 7 ,TO [88] Amblyomma varium Bradypus tridactylus 3 , Bradypus sp 3 , Bradypus variegatus 7 Choleopus didactylus 3,7 , Choleopus hoffmanni 3,7 , Choloepus sp 7 Dasyprocta aguti , Tamandua tetradactyla 3 AM 3 , PA 6 ,RO [30,31,33,38,40,97] Dermacentor nitens Bos taurus 4 , Canis familiaris 4,7 , Equus caballus ,4,7,8,9 [31,36,38,39,42] Rhipicephalus microplus Bos taurus 4,7,8,9 , Canis familiaris 4,7,9 , Felis catus 7 , Equus caballus, 4,7,8,9 , Capra hircus 4,7 , Ovis aires 4 Alouatta puruensis 7 , Mazama gouazoubira 5,9 , Mazama sp. 7 , Tapirus terrestres 7,9 ,Tayassu sp 7 rodents (e.g., Cricetidae) in the larvae and nymph stag...…”

Ticks in wild animals at a resort and the first documentation of Amblyomma sculptum infesting Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

“…Thereafter, they were transported to the laboratory. Taxonomic identification was performed based on morphology using dichotomic keys specific for ixodid ticks, the key proposed by Martins et al (2010) for nymphs and the key modified by Guimarães et al (2001) in Barros-Battesti et al (2006) and Nava et al (2014) for adults.…”