Molecular identification of Trypanosoma theileri in cattle from the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Trypanosoma theileri is a cosmopolitan opportunistic haemoparasite described in wild and domestic ruminants, and also in arthropod vectors. The presence of this parasite has been reported in several South American countries, including Amazonian regions. Despite the importance of livestock production, Ecuador possesses scarce studies about trypanosomosis and no T. theileri reports in its territory. Here, we showed molecular evidences of the presence of T. theileri in cattle from a province located in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Bovine blood samples were collected from 2014 to 2019, during campaigns to detect haemoparasites in the Ecuadorian provinces of Orellana and Sucumbíos. DNA was extracted from the buffy coat and used in PCR assays with three different molecular markers, ITS1, 18S and Cathepsin L-like. T. theileri was detected only in the Sucumbíos province, with a specific molecular prevalence of 8.6% (3/35) using the three primers and an additional animal detected as positive (11.4% prevalence) only by the ITS1 marker. DNA sequences derived from the generated amplicons were subjected to phylogenetics maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analysis, which indicate the presence of TthI and TthII genotypes circulating in the evaluated animals. Molecular surveillance should be continually implemented in Ecuador in order to deepen the epidemiological and evolutionary knowledge about T. theileri as well other haemoparasites in the amazon parts of the country.

New Records of Ticks of Genus Amblyomma Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) for Ecuador.

PURPOSE: In Ecuador, knowledge of the diversity and geographic distribution of ticks, as well as their importance as vectors, is scarce. Within the family Ixodidae, the genus Amblyomma is the most diverse and parasitizes wild and domestic animals. This genus is represented by 19 species in Ecuador, 12 of which occur in the continental territory and 7 in the Galapagos Islands. In this way, the objective of this work was to update the diversity of ticks reported for Ecuador on wild and domestic animals. METHODS: The specimens were collected manually on mammals and birds, in four localities belonging to the Sierra and Amazon of Ecuador and were kept in tubes with 96% ethyl alcohol. After that, all specimens were separated into immatures, males and females and were identified using their morphological characters. RESULTS: This study records Amblyomma coelebs Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma longirostre (Koch, 1844) Neumann, 1905 and Amblyomma varium Koch, 1844 for the first time in Ecuador. Thus, the genus Amblyomma is currently represented by 22 species. In addition, their hosts, distribution, and importance are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Knowing the diversity of ticks that wildlife possesses, its interrelation with the domestic fauna, and the possible pathogens that could be transmitting could significantly contribute to wildlife's conservation.