Survey of Rickettsia spp. in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting opossums (Didelphis albiventris) and capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from an urban park in southeastern Brazil.

Ticks are hematophagous arthropods and, during feeding, may transmit pathogens to vertebrate hosts, including humans. This study aimed to investigate the presence of Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected between 2010 and 2013 from free-ranging capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) and opossums (Didelphis albiventris) that inhabit Sabiá Park in Uberlândia, Brazil. Overall, 1,860 ticks were collected: 1,272 (68.4%) from capybaras (487 of the species Amblyomma sculptum, 475 adults and 12 nymphs; 778 Amblyomma dubitatum, 727 adults and 51 nymphs; and seven larva clusters of the genus Amblyomma); and 588 (31.6%) from opossums (21 A. sculptum, one adult and 20 nymphs; 79 A. dubitatum, all nymphs; 15 Ixodes loricatus, 12 adults and three nymphs; 457 Amblyomma sp. larva clusters; 15 Ixodes sp. larva clusters; and one Argasidae larva cluster). Out of 201 DNA samples tested for the presence of Rickettsia spp. DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) 12 showed amplification of a gtlA gene segment that was specific to Rickettsia bellii, a bacterium non-pathogenic to humans. As there has been a report showing serological evidence of infections caused by Rickettsia species of the spotted fever group (SFG) in capybaras and opossums in the park, including Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiological agent of Brazilian spotted fever, and considering the presence of A. sculptum ticks, which are aggressive to humans, as well as these vertebrate hosts, which are amplifiers of R. rickettsii, it is important to monitor the presence of SFG rickettsiae in the Sabiá Park, which is visited daily by thousands of people.

Concentrações bioquímicas séricas de jacaré-açú (Melanosuchus niger) machos, adultos de vida livre / Biochemical serum concentrations of adult male caimans (Melanosuchus niger) in free life

O jacaré-açu (Melanosuchus niger), pertencendo à família Aligatoridae, é considerado o maior predador aquático da América Continental. Como todos os répteis, possui particularidades para o uso de energia, controlando sua temperatura corporal nas variações climáticas. Essas variações podem revelar a situação metabólica atual desse animal, justificando o estudo de tais parâmetros. A importância desse trabalho se justifica pela escassez de estudos disponíveis na literatura. Nesse sentido, determinamos o perfil bioquímico de compostos sanguíneos de 12 jacarés açu, com peso de 77,66±8,92 kg, os quais foram: uréia (3,41±0,66), albumina (24,85±0,63), proteína total (63,83±16,97), ácido úrico (0,25±0,09), glicose (6,99±0,77), colesterol total (2,20±0,27), triglicérides (0,58±0,07), TGO (138,83±9,16) e TGP (12,47±2,82).(AU)

The black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) of the Aligatoridae family is considered to be the largest aquatic predator of Continental America. Like all reptiles, the black caiman has special features for energy use to control his body temperature according to climatic variations. These variations can reveal the current metabolic status of the animals, explaining the importance to study such parameters. We determined the biochemical profile of some blood compounds of 12 alligators, weighing 77.66±8.92 kg, as there are: urea (3.41±0.66), albumin (24.85±0.63), total protein (63.83±16.97), uric acid (0.25±0.09), glucose (6.99±0.77), total cholesterol (2.20±0.27), triglycerides (0.58±0.07), TGO (138.83±9.16), and ALT (12.47±2.82).(AU)