RESUMO
ABSTRACT: From May to September 2011, a total of 138 wild rodents of the Cricetidae family were collected in the cities of Anhembi, Bofete and Torre de Pedra, in São Paulo State. All animals were examined for the presence of ticks, which were collected and identified at species level in the laboratory by morphological examination (for adults, nymphs and larvae) and molecular biology, by sequencing of a fragment of the 16S mitochondrial rDNA (for larvae). A total of 47 ticks (21 larvae and 26 nymphs) were collected from rodents, identified as 21 larvae and 23 nymphs of Amblyomma ovale (collected on Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Sooretamys agouya and Nectomys squamipes), two nymphs of Ixodes schulzei (O. nigripes and O. flavescens) and an Amblyomma sculptum nymph in S. agouya. The overall prevalence of parasitism by A. ovale was 4.3% for larvae, and 10.1% for nymphs. The mean intensity of parasitism was 3.5 larvae/parasitized animal, and 1.6 nymphs/parasitized animal. One O. nigripes was found parasitized by both larva and nymph of A. ovale, and another O. nigripes was parasitized simultaneously by an I. schulzei nymph and five A. ovale nymphs. This research reports the following unpublished records: A. ovale on O. flavescens, O. nigripes and S. agouya; A. sculptum on S. agouya; and I. schulzei on O. flavescens and O. nigripes.
RESUMO: De maio a setembro de 2011, um total de 138 roedores silvestres da família Cricetidae foram coletados nos municípios de Anhembi, Bofete e Torre de Pedra, no estado de São Paulo. Todos os animais foram examinados quanto à presença de carrapatos, os quais foram coletados e identificados ao nível de espécie em laboratório, através de análises morfológicas (para adultos, ninfas e larvas) e por biologia molecular para confirmar estas análises, através do sequenciamento de um fragmento do gene 16S rDNA mitocondrial (para uma parte das larvas). Um total de 47 carrapatos (21 larvas e 26 ninfas) foi coletado dos roedores, sendo identificados como 21 larvas e 23 ninfas de Amblyomma ovale (coletados sobre Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Sooretamys agouya e Nectomys squamipes), duas ninfas de Ixodes schulzei (em O. nigripes e O. flavescens) e uma ninfa de Amblyomma sculptum em S. agouya. A prevalência geral de parasitismo por A. ovale foi de 4,3% e de 10,1% para larvas e ninfas, respectivamente. As intensidades médias de parasitismo foram de 3,5 larvas/animal parasitado e de 1,6 ninfas/animal parasitado. Um O. nigripes foi encontrado parasitado simultaneamente por larva e ninfa de A. ovale, e outro O. nigripes estava parasitado simultaneamente por uma ninfa de I. schulzei e cinco ninfas de A. ovale. O presente trabalho reporta os seguintes registros inéditos: A. ovale em O. flavescens, O. nigripes e S. agouya; A. sculptum em S. agouya; e I. schulzei em O. flavescens e O. nigripes.
RESUMO
Vaccinia virus (VACV), the etiological agent of an exanthematic disease, has been associated with several bovine outbreaks in Brazil since the end of the global vaccination campaign against smallpox. It was previously believed that the vaccine virus used for the WHO global campaign had adapted to an unknown wild reservoir and was sporadically re-emerging in outbreaks in cattle and milkers. At present, it is known that Brazilian VACV is phylogenetically different from the vaccinia virus vaccinal strain, but its origin remains unknown. This study assessed the seroprevalence of orthopoxviruses in domestic and wild animals and farmers from 47 farms in three cities in the southwest region of the state of São Paulo with or without official reports of outbreaks in cattle or humans. Our data indicate a low seroprevalence of antibodies in wild animals and raise interesting questions about the real potential of wild rodents and marsupials as VACV reservoirs, suggesting other routes through which VACV can be spread.
