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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365764
Research Project: Plant Feeding Mite (Acari) Systematics

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Molecular detection of Rickettsia in chigger mites (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) collected on small mammals in Brazil

Author
item JACINAVICIUS, F.C. - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item BASSINI-SILVA, R. - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item MUNOZ-LEAL, SEBASTIAN - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item WELBOURN, W.C. - Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services
item Ochoa, Ronald - Ron
item LABRUNA, MARCELO BAHIA - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item BARROS-BATTESTI, D.M. - Faculdade De Ciências Agrárias E Veterinárias De Jaboticabal-Unesp

Submitted to: Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinaria
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/29/2019
Publication Date: 10/1/2019
Citation: Jacinavicius, F., Bassini-Silva, R., Munoz-Leal, S., Welbourn, W., Ochoa, R., Labruna, M., Barros-Battesti, D. 2019. Molecular detection of Rickettsia in chigger mites (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) collected on small mammals in Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinaria. 28(4):563-568. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612019069.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612019069

Interpretive Summary: There are many species of chiggers that are parasites feeding on vertebrates including the man. This is a report of a molecular detection of a rickettsia from Brazil. These results are important to public health officials, animal protection officers, extension workers, agriculture scientists, entomologists and farmers.

Technical Abstract: Chiggers are ectoparasites of vertebrates and may cause trombiculiasis or transmit pathogens to their hosts. Specimens collected from rodents and marsupials were morphologically identified as Arisocerus hertigi, Eutrombicula tinami, Kymocta sp., Quadraseta brasiliensis, Quadraseta falconensis, Quadraseta flochi, Quadraseta mackenziei, Quadraseta pazca, Quadraseta trapezoides, Quadraseta sp., Serratacarus sp., andTrombewingia bakeri. These mites were submitted individually to molecular analyses for the 7 detection of Coxiella, Hepatozoon and Rickettsia. Samples were positive to Rickettsia only.Obtained sequences for the gltA (350 pb) and ompA (488 pb) genes were identical to “Candidatus Rickettsia colombianensi”, a species previously detected in ticks. In addition, molecular identification of mites based on 18S rDNA sequences are provided for A. hertigi, Kymocta sp., Q. brasiliensis, Q. pazca, Q. trapezoides, Quadraseta sp., and T. bakeri for the first time. This is the first report of the detection of a Rickettsia sp. in chigger mites collectedon rodents in Brazil