Tick and flea infestations in captive Tapirus terrestris and Tapirus kabomani (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae) in the Brazilian Amazon.

The present study aimed to identify tick and flea species infesting captive tapirs (Tapirus terrestris and Tapirus kabomani) in the Brazilian Amazon. Ectoparasites were collected from tapirs chemically restrained in Zoo-botanical Parks, breeding facilities, conservationists and, environmental compensation areas in the states of Amapá, Amazonas, and Pará. After collection, the tick and flea specimens were placed in plastic pots containing isopropanol and identified according to dichotomous keys.

Tungiasis in domestic, wild, and synanthropic animals in Brazil.

Tungiasis is an ectoparasitic skin disease of humans and warm-blooded animals caused by fleas of the genus Tunga (Jarocki, 1938). Dogs, cats, pigs, and synanthropic rodents are the main animal reservoirs. Of the 14 known species, 12 are found in Latin America and, among these, eight are found in Brazil, including the two zoonotic species Tunga penetrans and Tunga trimamillata.

Fleas associated with sigmodontine rodents and marsupials from the Paranaense Forest in Northeastern Argentina.

Fleas from the Paranaense Forest in northeastern Argentina are studied. Herein we provided a list of specimens identified, which includes host species and geographical distribution for each taxa, as well as some comments on the morphology, distribution and epidemiological importance when available. The following eight species and subspecies of fleas belonging to four families were identified: Ctenocephalides felis felis (Pulicidae), Craneopsylla minerva minerva (Stephanocircidae), Polygenis (Polygenis) platensis, Polygenis (Polygenis) roberti beebei, Polygenis (Neopolygenis) pradoi, Polygenis (Neopolygenis) pygaerus (Rhopalopsyllidae), Adoratopsylla (Adoratopsylla) antiquorum antiquorum, and Adoratopsylla (Tritopsylla) intermedia intermedia (Ctenophthalmidae).

Dynamics of Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) Infestations on Urban Dogs in Southeastern Brazil.

The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1835), is an important ectoparasite of dogs and cats throughout the world, causing annoyance to the animals and acting as a vector of infections and a cause of allergic dermatitis in dogs and cats. Although climatic variability and seasonality are known to influence the diversity and abundance of fleas, few investigations of seasonal prevalence of cat flea infestation have involved the same group of dogs being examined regularly over an extended period. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity on the infestation by C.

Ectoparasites of the critically endangered insular cavy, Cavia intermedia (Rodentia: Caviidae), southern Brazil.

Cavia intermedia is a rodent species critically endangered and is found only on a 10 hectare island off the southern Brazilian coast. To identify the ectoparasites of C. intermedia, 27 specimens (14 males and 13 females), representing approximately 65% of the estimated total population, were captured and examined.

Notes on the genus Tunga (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) II--neosomes, morphology, classification, and other taxonomic notes.

This review focuses on the neosomes, morphology, and taxonomy of adult species of the genus Tunga, complementing the previously published data on the phylogeny, ecology, and pathogenic role. Neosomes are structures formed after penetration of adult females into the skin of hosts resulting in significant enlargement, being the most characteristic and most frequently observed form in hosts. Neosomes can be differentiated by shape, measurements, and sites of attachment to principal hosts.

Neosomes of tungid fleas on wild and domestic animals.

Tunga is the most specialized genus among the Siphonaptera because adult females penetrate into the skin of their hosts and, after mating and fertilization, undergo hypertrophy, forming an enlarged structure known as the neosome. In humans and other warm-blooded animals, neosomes cause tungiasis, which arises due to the action of opportunistic agents. Although its effects on humans and domestic animals are well described in the literature, little is known about the impact of tungiasis on wild animals.

Prehistorical Pediculus humanus capitis infestation: quantitative data and low vacuum scanning microscopy.

A pre-Columbian Peruvian scalp was examined decades ago by a researcher from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Professor Olympio da Fonseca Filho described nits and adult lice attached to hair shafts and commented about the origin of head lice infestations on mankind. This same scalp was sent to our laboratory and is the subject of the present paper.

A new species of Tunga (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) parasitizing cattle from Brazil.

Tunga hexalobulata (Siphonaptera: Tungidae), new species oftungid sand flea belonging to the penetrans group, is described with illustrations of adult female parasitizing Bos indicus (L., 1758) from Brazil. It differs from the 12 other known species of Tunginae by the presence of six anterior humps in the neosome.

Establishment of Tunga trimamillata (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) in Brazil.

Tunga trimamillata is a species of sand flea occurring in Ecuador and Peru parasitizing cattle, goat, sheep, swine, and man. This is the first report of this species in Brazil, having been found on the hooves of cows in Barretos, São Paulo State, and Felixlândia, Minas Gerais State, and previously misidentified as Tunga penetrans. A previous report concerning Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris from Rio Novo, Minas Gerais State, may also be attributed to that species of sand flea, a possible the primary host.

Ctenocephalides felis felis vs. Ctenocephalides canis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae): some issues in correctly identify these species.

Ctenocephalides felis felis is one of the most important ectoparasites of dogs and cats throughout the world, because of its geographical distribution, dual parasitological action as an infesting agent and a vector of diseases, the economic losses and the acquired resistance against common insecticides. In Brazil, it surpasses Ctenocephalides canis in distribution, number of host species infested, prevalence and epidemiological importance. However, in some studies the species have been misidentified on the basis of their morphological characters included in taxonomic keys.

A new species of Tunga (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) from Brazil with a key to the adult species and neosomes.

Tunga bossii new species of tungid sand flea belonging to the caecata group is described with illustrations of the adult female, parasitizing the wild rodent Delomys dorsalis (Hensel) from Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Tunga bossii differs from the ten other known species of Tunginae by the size of the first segment of the maxillary palp and the presence of two bristles at the base of the maxilla. Tunga bossii also can be differentiated from other species of the T.

Morphology and growth characteristics of cultured Leptomonas ctenocephali from Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) of dogs in Brazil.

To confirm the taxonomic identification of a trypanosomatid found in the hindgut, rectum and Malpighian tubules of dog fleas captured in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, between April and November of 2005, 910 specimens of Ctenocephalides felis felis were removed from street dogs and dissected, and isolates from their digestive tracts were cultivated in NNN-alpha-MEM medium. Four different morphological forms were observed in culture: long, slender, twisted promastigotes with a long flagellum; short, stubby, non-twisted promastigotes; rounded amastigotes; and cyst-like bodies. Twisted and non-twisted promastigotes were frequently seen forming rosettes, and these two forms presented significant differences (P<0.

Use of Multiple Displacement Amplification as Pre-polymerase Chain Reaction (Pre-PCR) to amplify genomic DNA of siphonapterids preserved for long periods in scientific collections.

The recently developed Multiple Displacement Amplification technique (MDA) allows for the production of a large quantity of high quality genomic DNA from low amounts of the original DNA. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of the MDA technique to amplify genomic DNA of siphonapterids that have been stored for long periods in 70% ethanol at room temperature. We subjected each DNA sample to two different methodologies: (1) amplification of mitochondrial 16S sequences without MDA; (2) amplification of 16S after MDA.

Siphonaptera associated with wild mammals from the Central Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Corridor in southeastern Brazil.

We collected 379 samples of eight flea species from 235 specimens of wild mammals captured in three areas of the Central Atlantic Forest Corridor in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil, between August 2006 and February 2008. Among the 22 mammal species, we found eight species of marsupials (order Didelphimorphia), 13 species of rodents (order Rodentia), and one species of wild cat (order Carnivora). The total prevalence of infestation was 28.

Seasonality and prevalence rates of Steinina sp. (Eugregarinorida: Actinocephalidae) in Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) from dogs captured in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

In total, 1500 specimens (448 males and 1052 females) of the flea Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) were collected over a period of a year from 150 dogs captured by the Centro de Controle de Zoonoses de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Microscopic examination of the dissected fleas revealed that 180 fleas were infected with a species of gregarine that was subsequently identified as a member of the genus Steinina. The relative abundances, prevalence rates, and seasonal variation of the different developmental stages of this endoparasite in C.

Rickettsia infection in five areas of the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

This study investigated rickettsial infection in animals, humans, ticks, and fleas collected in five areas of the state of São Paulo. Eight flea species (Adoratopsylla antiquorum antiquorum, Ctenocephalides felis felis, Polygenis atopus, Polygenis rimatus, Polygenis roberti roberti, Polygenis tripus, Rhopalopsyllus lugubris, and Rhopalopsyllus lutzi lutzi), and five tick species (Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma dubitatum, Ixodes loricatus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus) were collected from dogs, cats, and opossums. Rickettsia felis was the only rickettsia found infecting fleas, whereas Rickettsia bellii was the only agent infecting ticks, but no animal or human blood was shown to contain rickettsial DNA.

Investigations on the biology, epidemiology, pathology and control of Tunga penetrans in Brazil. VI. Natural history of the infestation in laboratory-raised Wistar rats.

Tungiasis is endemic in many countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, and it is associated with severe morbidity. The pathophysiological and immunological characteristics of the ectoparasitosis are not well understood, and no effective therapy is currently available. The aim of this study was to describe the natural history of tungiasis in laboratory-raised Wistar rats.

Can fleas from dogs infected with canine visceral leishmaniasis transfer the infection to other mammals?

In order to investigate the possible role of dog fleas in the transmission of trypanosomatids, ectoparasites were removed from 59 dogs testing positive for canine zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis according to the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Of the fleas collected, 4/207 (1.9%) showed the presence of promastigotes in smears stained by Giemsa, whilst 43/144 (29.

Endosymbionts of Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) obtained from dogs captured in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Specimens of fleas Ctenocephalides felis felis (1052 female symbol/448 male symbol), obtained from 150 dogs in Centro de Controle de Zoonoses de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were dissected and examined for endosymbionts. Three protozoan, Nolleria pulicis, a gregarine (Actinocephalidae) and Leptomonas sp., together with one cestode, Dipylidium caninum were identified.

Biogeography of Brazilian populations of Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) based on molecular marker and paleo-vegetational data.

In epidemiological terms, Panstrongylus megistus is one of the most important species of triatomine bug in Brazil. Samples from 11 localities were studied using the random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique, which was able to differentiate the study populations clearly. Biogeographical data indicate that these populations could already have arisen 18,000 years ago (C(14)), it being possible to differentiate insects from the Brazilian states of Santa Catarina (SC) in the south, Ceará (CE) in the northeast and another large intermediate block containing the remaining eight populations from five other states.

Scanning electron microscopy studies of sensilla and other structures of the head of Polygenis (Polygenis) tripus (Siphonapera: Rhopalopsyllidae).

The external morphology of the head and appendages of adult Polygenis (Polygenis) tripus [Jordan, K., 1933. Descriptions of Siphonaptera.

Ultrastructure of contact-chemoreceptor sensilla found among the genae of female Gasterophilus nasalis.

Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe contact-chemoreceptor sensilla in the genae of the anterior vestigial mouthparts of female Gasterophilus nasalis. These were of the uniporous trichoid type and were surrounded by mechanosensory aporous trichoid sensilla of variable size. Contact-chemoreceptor sensilla could be involved in detecting different chemical substances, including the equine kairomones that stimulate females to lay eggs on the hair of the host and/or the short-range sexual pheromones used in precopulatory courtship.

Participation of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the epidemiology of canine visceral leishmaniasis.

The vectorial competence of the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus is discussed in relation to the epidemiology of canine visceral leishmaniasis, taking into account its strict association with dogs and the low indices of natural infection presented by its known vector, the phlebotomine sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. In order to evaluate natural infection by Leishmania chagasi and the infectivity of these parasites in the tick, 39 specimens (6 females, 11 males and 22 nymphs) of R. sanguineus were removed from 21 dogs showing diverse symptoms of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL).

Scanning electron microscopy studies of sensilla and other structures of adult Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr., 1781) (Diptera: Cuterebridae).

The surfaces of the body segments and appendages of male and female Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr., 1781) were studied by scanning electron microscopy with the objective of contributing to the current knowledge of the morphology of this insect.