المؤلفون: |
Mendes JCR; Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil., Kmetiuk LB; Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil., Martins CM; Departamento de Enfermagem e Saúde Pública, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa - UEPG, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil., Canavessi AMO; Departamento de Ciência Animal, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Piracicaba, SP, Brasil., Jimenez T; Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil., Pellizzaro M; Departamento de Higiene Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Escola de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulita - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brasil., Martins TF; Departamento de Higiene Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Escola de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulita - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brasil., Morikawa VM; Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil., Santos APD; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA., Labruna MB; Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil., Biondo AW; Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil. |
مستخلص: |
Rickettsia spp. bacteria are responsible for tick-borne diseases worldwide, mostly maintained by rickettsial amplifiers capybaras in Brazilian endemic areas. The campus of the University of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, is an area endemic for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), with high density of capybaras and Amblyomma spp., along with confirmed human cases. Besides capybaras, the university has also an in-campus high population of sheltered and free-roaming cats. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics associated with Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia felis exposure among cats in a BSF-endemic area. Out of 51 cats sampled, 23/35 shelter (65.7%) and 5/16 free-roaming (31.2%) were positive (titers ≥ 64) for at least one Rickettsia species. Ticks species were present in 3/16 free-roaming cats (18.8%), consisting of Amblyomma spp., nymphs of Amblyomma sculptum and adult Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Despite sharing the capybaras environment, the seropositivity among the free-roaming and shelter cats was lower than owned cats in other endemic areas. Whether equally or less exposed to rickettsial infection, compared with owned cats in endemic areas, free-roaming and shelter cats may be used as environmental sentinels for human exposure to rickettsiae in such areas. |