Tungiasis in a free-ranging jaguar (Panthera onca) population in Brazil

Abstract

Tungiasis is an ectoparasitic disease caused by fleas of the genus Tunga. The disease is reported to occur mostly in human populations. In wildlife, however, the occurrence and impact of this disease remains uncertain. We captured and examined 12 free-ranging jaguars for the presence of Tunga penetrans in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Tungiasis prevalence was 100% in the population; lesions were confined to the jaguar's paws. T. penetrans was identified based on the characteristics of the embedded fleas and the morphological identification of a collected free-living flea. The intensity and stage of infestation varied between individual animals. However, in general, all captured jaguars were in good health. The 100% prevalence of tungiasis may be related to the fact that all captures were performed during the dry season. Their high ecological requirements for space make jaguars potential disseminators of T. penetrans in the Pantanal region. Because cattle ranching and ecotourism are the main economic activities in the Pantanal, further studies should evaluate the risks of tungiasis to human and animal health. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of tungiasis in jaguars.

Neosomes of tungid fleas on wild and domestic animals

“…Among the 13 known species of Tunga , T. penetrans is the most promiscuous, having been found on hosts belonging to eight different orders of mammals, including Cingulata, Pilosa, Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Carnivora, Rodentia, Primates, and Proboscidea; in total, T. penetrans has been found on 27 genera of wild and domestic animals (De Avelar 2010) in addition to two occurrences that have only recently been recorded (Frank et al 2012; Widmer and Azevedo 2012). However, in spite of the broad spectrum and category of hosts, the pig is considered the most important animal reservoir for T. penetrans (Pampiglione et al 1998; Ugbomoiko et al 2008).…”

“…Regarding T. penetrans , approximately 80 lesions were found on dogs, 50 on cats, 16 on rats, and 199 on humans from Fortaleza, Brazil (Heukelbach et al 2004a), whereas in a community in rural Nigeria, Ugbomoiko et al (2008) observed the following maximum numbers of lesions: 184 on pigs, 21 on dogs, and 13 on Rattus rattus . In a study of flea infestations of Panthera onca , Widmer and Azevedo (2012) recorded more than 20 lesions on a young female.…”

“…Female dogs can also exhibit lesions in the nipples (Klimpel et al 2005). On Brazilian wild mammals, Frank et al (2012) reported lesions on the feet of the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla , and on the jaguar ( P. onca ), Widmer and Azevedo (2012) observed neosomes confined to the animals’ paws.…”

Conhecimento dos profissionais de saúde sobre a situação da tungíase em uma área endêmica no município de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil, 2010

“…15 Há necessidade de se implementar programas edu- Animais são conhecidos como importantes reservatórios, e a tungíase, considerada uma zoonose. 1,23 A presença de ratos e animais errantes, ou animais domésticos como gatos e cães, favorece a disseminação da pulga no ambiente. Porém, o conhecimento sobre reservatórios da tungíase foi escasso entre os entrevistados, e mais da metade deles não respondeu a essa questão ou respondeu-a erroneamente.…”

Checklist dos Siphonaptera do Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul

“…Para a elaboração da lista das espécies de sifonápteros assinaladas no estado do Mato Grosso do Sul, as seguintes fontes foram consultadas: Pinto (1930), Guimarães (1942;1953), Lima & Hathaway (1946), Hopkins & Rothschild (1953;1956;1962;1971), Johnson (1957), Nagem (1977), Smit (1987), Linardi & Guimarães (2000), Graciolli et al (2008), Medri (2008) e Widener & Azevedo (2012).…”