title: Rickettsia parkeri infecting free-living Amblyomma triste ticks in the Brazilian Pantanal.
abstract: The present study evaluated the infection of rickettsiae in 151 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 59 Amblyomma ovale, 166 Amblyomma triste, one Amblyomma dissimile and four Amblyomma dubitatum ticks collected in the municipality of Poconé, State of Mato Grosso, within the Pantanal biome of Brazil. Ticks were individually processed by the hemolymph test with Gimenez staining, isolation of rickettsia in Vero cell culture by the shell vial technique, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the citrate synthase rickettsial gene. Through the shell vial technique, rickettsiae were successfully isolated and established in Vero cell culture from one free-living A. triste female tick, which previously showed to contain Rickettsia-like organisms by the hemolymph test. Molecular characterization of the rickettsial isolate was achieved through DNA partial sequences of three rickettsial genes (gltA, ompA, ompB), which showed to be all 100% identical to Rickettsia parkeri. After testing all ticks by PCR, the frequency of R. parkeri infection was 7.23% (12/166) in A. triste adult ticks. The remaining ticks were negative by PCR. This is the first report of in vitro isolation of R. parkeri in the Pantanal biome, confirming the occurrence of this emerging rickettsial pathogen in this natural area of South America.
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Andréia L T
authors: AL
authors: Melo
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Alvair S
authors: AS
authors: Alves
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Fernanda A
authors: FA
authors: Nieri-Bastos
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Thiago F
authors: TF
authors: Martins
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Rute
authors: R
authors: Witter
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Thábata A
authors: TA
authors: Pacheco
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Herbert S
authors: HS
authors: Soares
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Arlei
authors: A
authors: Marcili
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Cristiane S
authors: CS
authors: Chitarra
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Valéria
authors: V
authors: Dutra
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Luciano
authors: L
authors: Nakazato
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors: Richard C
authors: RC
authors: Pacheco
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Marcelo B
authors: MB
authors: Labruna
authors: Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil. Electronic address: danmoura@ufmt.br.
authors: Daniel M
authors: DM
authors: Aguiar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000382:microbiology*; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Amblyomma triste; Brazil; Isolation; Pantanal; Rickettsia parkeri; Ticks