A long-term study on free-ranging jaguar-tick interactions, featuring a novel report of Amblyomma incisum adult infestation

Over nearly 12 years, we collected ticks from free-ranging jaguars ( Panthera onca ) and performed statistical analyses to comprehend the vector-host relationship throughout the seasons. We evaluated the presence and number of ticks, as well as their association with weight, age, and gender of captu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary research communications 2024-06, Vol.48 (3), p.1779-1784
Main Authors: Baggio-Souza, Vinícius, Adenilson May-Junior, Joares, Fagundes-Moreira, Renata, Reis, Adeyldes Oliveira, de Almeida, Bruno Albuquerque, Fragoso, Carlos Eduardo, Rampim, Lilian Elaine, Sartorelo, Leonardo Rodrigues, Haberfeld, Mario Bührke, Martins, Thiago Fernandes, Labruna, Marcelo Bahia, Soares, João Fabio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Age
Amblyomma
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Brief Report
Dry season
Ecosystems
Females
Gender
Life Sciences
Males
Parasites
Seasonal variations
Statistical analysis
Statistics
Vectors (Biology)
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science
Zoology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Over nearly 12 years, we collected ticks from free-ranging jaguars ( Panthera onca ) and performed statistical analyses to comprehend the vector-host relationship throughout the seasons. We evaluated the presence and number of ticks, as well as their association with weight, age, and gender of captured jaguars in the Pantanal and Amazon biomes. Out of 100 captured jaguars (comprising 72 initial captures and 28 recaptures, with 41 females and 31 males), 77 were found to be infested by different tick species. We gathered a total of 1,002 ticks, categorized by the following species in descending order of abundance: Amblyomma sculptum , Amblyomma ovale , Rhipicephalus microplus , Amblyomma triste , Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto, Amblyomma incisum , and Amblyomma spp. larvae. Apart from weight, statistical analysis indicated that age, gender and seasonality does not significantly affect the presence of different tick species in free ranging jaguars. Notably, A. sculptum adults were more abundant in the first semester, while A. sculptum nymphs and Amblyomma spp. larvae were mainly found during dry months, aligning with their expected life cycle stages. This is the first long-term study in jaguars to correlate seasonality and host factors and also the first time an adult of A. incisum is reported infesting a jaguar.
ISSN:0165-7380
1573-7446
DOI:10.1007/s11259-024-10305-3