Inter-unit Program in Applied Ecology, Universidade de São Paulo, PO Box 09, CEP 13418-900 Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
Parasitol Res. 2012 Mar;110(3):1311-4. doi: 10.1007/s00436-011-2625-8. Epub 2011 Aug 24.
Tungiasis is an ectoparasitic disease caused by fleas of the genus Tunga. The disease is reported to occur mostly in human populations. In wildlife, however, the occurrence and impact of this disease remains uncertain. We captured and examined 12 free-ranging jaguars for the presence of Tunga penetrans in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Tungiasis prevalence was 100% in the population; lesions were confined to the jaguar's paws. T. penetrans was identified based on the characteristics of the embedded fleas and the morphological identification of a collected free-living flea. The intensity and stage of infestation varied between individual animals. However, in general, all captured jaguars were in good health. The 100% prevalence of tungiasis may be related to the fact that all captures were performed during the dry season. Their high ecological requirements for space make jaguars potential disseminators of T. penetrans in the Pantanal region. Because cattle ranching and ecotourism are the main economic activities in the Pantanal, further studies should evaluate the risks of tungiasis to human and animal health. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of tungiasis in jaguars.
摘要： 食虫目跳蚤（Tunga penetrans）是一种外寄生虫，会引起人体的寄生性疾病。虽然在人类中，这种疾病较为常见，但关于野生动物感染食虫目跳蚤的报告却很少。在巴西南马托格罗索州潘塔纳尔地区，我们捕获并检查了 12 只自由活动的美洲虎，以确定它们是否感染了食虫目跳蚤。结果显示，在该地区的美洲虎种群中，食虫目跳蚤的感染率为 100%，跳蚤寄生的位置仅限于美洲虎的脚掌。我们根据嵌入跳蚤的特征以及从自由生活的跳蚤中采集到的样本，鉴定出了感染的跳蚤为食虫目跳蚤。个体间的感染程度和阶段存在差异，但总体而言，所有被捕猎的美洲虎健康状况良好。食虫目跳蚤的高感染率可能与所有的样本采集都在旱季进行有关。由于美洲虎对空间的生态需求较高，它们可能是潘塔纳尔地区食虫目跳蚤的潜在传播者。因为畜牧业和生态旅游是潘塔纳尔地区的主要经济活动，所以应该进一步评估食虫目跳蚤对人类和动物健康的风险。据我们所知，这是关于美洲虎感染食虫目跳蚤的首次报告。
