title: Ticks on birds in a forest fragment of Brazilian cerrado (savanna) in the municipality of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
abstract: This is a report of tick species, parasite prevalence and infestation intensity of birds in a forest fragment (18° 56' 57'' S and 48° 12' 14'' W) within the Brazilian cerrado (savanna), in the municipality of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 162 birds from 26 species were captured. One adult tick, 296 larvae and 67 nymphs were found on passerine birds. Of these, it was identified 31 larvae and 27 nymphs of Amblyomma longirostre, 17 nymphs of A. nodosum, one A. cajennense larvae and one male of Rhipicephalus sanguineus. All other ticks were identified as Amblyomma sp. larvae (n = 264) or nymphs (n = 26). Overall tick infestation intensity and prevalence were 4.32 ticks/infested bird and 52%, respectively. Sampling of host-seeking ticks on the ground within the forest during a two-year period showed only five Amblyomma sp. nymphs and one adult male of A. nodosum whereas a search for ticks on domestic animals (cattle, horses and dogs) found Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks. Although identification was possible in only 27% of bird ticks there seemed to be no correlation between environmental and domestic animal and bird infestation. It can be assumed that bird infestation may occur above the ground or at specific sites not sampled.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ixodologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Campus Umuarama, Uberlândia-MG, Brazil. grazielapascoli@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Graziela Virginia
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Tolesano-Pascoli
authors.forename: Khelma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torga
authors.forename: Alexandre Gabriel
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Franchin
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogrzewalska
authors.forename: Monize
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerardi
authors.forename: Maria Marlene Martins
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Olegário
authors.forename: Marcelo Bahia
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
authors.forename: Matias Pablo Juan
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: Oswaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Marçal Júnior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology*; D001938:Brazil; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks; D014197:Trees