Eschar-associated Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, Bahia, Brazil

In Brazil, Brazilian spotted fever was once considered the only tick-borne rickettsial disease. We report eschar-associated rickettsial disease that occurred after a tick bite. The etiologic agent is most related to Rickettsia parkeri, R. africae, and R. sibirica and probably widely distributed from São Paulo to Bahia in the Atlantic Forest

Cross-sectional Survey of Hantavirus Infection, Brazil

A cross-sectional serosurvey was conducted to assess the proportion of persons exposed to hantaviruses in a virus-endemic area of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Findings of this study suggested the presence of >1 hantaviruses circulating in this region causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, mild disease, or asymptomatic infection

Epidemiological aspects of the Brazilian spotted fever: serological survey of dogs and horses in an endemic area in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

In order to obtain information on Brazilian spotted fever, a study in domestic animals was performed in the County of Pedreira, State of São Paulo, Brazil, where 17 human cases had been notified. Serum samples obtained from animals were tested by indirect immunofluorescence for detectable antibodies to spotted fever-group rickettsiae. Seropositivity was revealed in 12 (36.4%) of 33 dogs and seven (77.8%) of nine horses from the endemic area. For comparison, blood samples from dogs and horses from non endemic area were tested and four (12.9%) of 31 dogs and three (27.3%) of 11 horses were positive. The highest titers of antibodies by IFA (IgG >; 1:1024) were found only in three dogs and six horses from endemic area. The results suggest that dogs as horses may serve as environmental sentinels for estabilishing the prevalence of foci of spotted fever in Brazil.Com o objetivo de obter informações sobre a febre maculosa brasileira, um estudo em animais domésticos foi conduzido no município de Pedreira, São Paulo, Brasil, onde 17 casos humanos foram notificados. Amostras de soro obtidas de animais foram testadas pelo teste de imunofluorescência indireta para detecção de anticorpos para rickettsia do grupo da febre maculosa. Soro reatividade foi observada em 12 (36,4%) dos 33 cães e sete (77,8%) dos nove eqüinos procedentes da área endêmica. Para comparação, amostras de sangue de cães e de eqüinos procedentes de área não endêmica foram testadas e quatro (12,9%) dos 31 cães e três dos 10 eqüinos foram positivos. Somente três cães e seis eqüinos procedentes da área endêmica tinham títulos de anticorpos imunofluorescentes elevados (>; 1:1024). Os resultados obtidos sugerem que além dos cães, os eqüinos poderiam servir também como animal sentinela na febre maculosa brasileir

Rickettsiae of the Spotted Fever group in dogs, horses and ticks: an epidemiological study in an endemic region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Submitted by sandra infurna ([email protected]) on 2015-10-13T13:54:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 elba_lemos_etal_IOC_2014.pdf: 206509 bytes, checksum: 6b69109e051f0d74835c5880eea3c73b (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by sandra infurna ([email protected]) on 2015-10-13T13:54:38Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 elba_lemos_etal_IOC_2014.pdf: 206509 bytes, checksum: 6b69109e051f0d74835c5880eea3c73b (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by sandra infurna ([email protected]) on 2015-10-13T14:15:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 elba_lemos_etal_IOC_2014.pdf: 206509 bytes, checksum: 6b69109e051f0d74835c5880eea3c73b (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-13T14:15:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 elba_lemos_etal_IOC_2014.pdf: 206509 bytes, checksum: 6b69109e051f0d74835c5880eea3c73b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Veterinária. Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Rural do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Veterinária. Curso de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias (CPGCV).Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Rural do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Veterinária. Curso de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias (CPGCV).Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.Escola Superior Batista do Amazonas. Curso de Medicina Veterinária. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Rural do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Veterinária. Curso de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias (CPGCV).Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Rural do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Veterinária. Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública. Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.Spotted fever is a disease of which Rickettsia rickettsii is the most pathogenic agent. Its transmission is by tick bites and the infected ticks can act as vectors, reservoirs or amplifiers. The purpose of this paper is to assess the potential of dogs and horses as sentinels for brazilian spotted fever (BSF) emergence and become acquainted with the tick species in a municipal region of Resende, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, where five BSF cases in man were registered. Dog and horse blood samples were collected from rural and periurban properties to assess IgG anti-Rickettsia rickettsii, using the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). First, an analysis was conducted to detect association between IFA results and answers obtained from a questionnaire. Afterwards, a multivariate investigation was undertaken that presented significant statistical differences. Ticks were collected directly from dogs and horses for taxonomic identification. Out of the 107 canine serum samples, 30 (28.0%) were reactive, with titers varying from 1:64 to 1:4096, and 77 (72.0%) were not reactive. Of 96 animals in the serum analysis of horses, 9 (9.4%) were reactive, all with titers of 1:64, and 87 (90.6%) were non-reactive. The tick species collected from dogs were Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma ovale, Rhipicephalus microplus and nymphs of Amblyomma sp., R. sanguineus and R. microplus. Adult ticks gathered from horses were A. cajennense, R. microplus and Dermacentor nitens, in addition to nymphs of Amblyomma sp., R. microplus and D. nitens. The results suggest that: (i) the habit of dogs entering forests and living in rural environments positively influenced the presence of anti- -rickettsiae of the spotted fever group serum antibodies, (ii) horses were not good sentinels for this study area and (iii) R. sanguineus as well as A. cajennense ticks were the most prevalent ixodidae fauna of the region

Epidemiological aspects of the Brazilian spotted fever: seasonal activity of ticks collected in an endemic area in São Paulo, Brazil

Ticks were collected from vegetation and animals at monthly intervals during one year (1993-1994) in an endemic area of Brazilian spotted fever in the County of Pedreira, State of São Paulo. Six species of ticks were identified Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma cooperi, Amblyomma triste, Anocentor nitens, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Boophilus microplus. Only the first species was sufficiently numerous to permit a quantitative study with seasonal activity, although the distribution and source of capture of other species were observed and are reported. This information is correlated with the epidemiology of tick-borne rickettsiosis.<br>Carrapatos de vegetação e de animais foram coletados mensalmente durante o período de um ano (1993-1994) em uma área endêmica de febre maculosa brasileira no município de Pedreira, São Paulo. Seis espécies de carrapatos foram identificadas Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma cooperi, Amblyomma triste, Anocentor nitens, Rhipicephalus sanguineus e Boophilus microplus. Somente a primeira espécie foi suficientemente abundante para permitir um estudo quantitativo com atividade sazonal, embora a distribuição e fonte de captura de outras espécies fossem observadas e aqui relatadas. Estas informações são correlacionadas com a epidemiologia da rickettsiose transmitida por carrapato