Seroprevalence of rickettsia spp. and a study of the tick fauna in dogs from the municipality of Seropédica, State of Rio de Janeiro

• Main Authors: Matheus Dias Cordeiro, Vanessa de Almeida Raia, Adriano Pinter, Nathalie Costa da Cunha, Celso Eduardo de Souza, Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Londrina 2015-12-01
• Series: Semina: Ciências Agrárias
• Subjects: Febre Maculosa; Rickettsia; Zoonoses; Caninos.
• Online Access: http://www.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/semagrarias/article/view/19635

<p class="Pa7">The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of anti-<em>Rickettsia </em>spp. antibodies, the tick fauna, and the ticks that are carriers of rickettsiae of the spotted fever group (SFG). About 68 (24%) of the 283 serum samples tested by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) reacted against the <em>R. rickettsii </em>crude antigen. The titers varied between 1:64 and 1:512. At the time of collection, 189 (64.5%) of the 293 dogs included in this study, were infested with ticks. Ticks classified as <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus </em>and <em>Amblyomma sculptum </em>were identified. None of the ticks examined for SFG rickettsiae using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were positive. The presence of the anti-<em>R. rickettsii </em>antibodies detected by IFA, albeit at low titers, suggests the circulation of SFG rickettsiae, which requires permanent surveillance because there are records on human fatalities related to spotted fever and to avoid any future threats to the students moving extensively in the areas near of the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.</p>