Alvez Rodrigo, Félix María L, Santodomingo Adriana, Parodi Pablo, Thomas Richard, Muñoz-Leal Sebastián, Carvalho Luis, Venzal José M
Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Salto, Uruguay.
Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
Parasit Vectors. 2025 Jun 18;18(1):225. doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06866-0.
Ixodes fuscipes is a tick species found in the Southern Cone of America and the only member of the Ixodes ricinus complex present in Uruguay. Members of this complex are particularly recognized as vectors of diseases affecting human health, such as babesiosis, caused by parasites of the genus Babesia (Apicomplexa: Piroplasmida). However, even though potential hosts of I. fuscipes in Uruguay (rodents, birds, and artiodactyls) are known carriers of Babesia species, the potential role of I. fuscipes as a vector of piroplasmids has not been studied.
In this study, questing I. fuscipes ticks were collected from five locations in Uruguay, and the presence of piroplasmid DNA was assessed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify fragments of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) genes.
A total of 953 ticks (larvae, nymphs, and adults) were collected; 14 samples (two larval pools and 12 nymphs) tested positive. Genetic analyses using 18S rDNA and COI sequences revealed the presence of undescribed Babesia lineages, belonging to the Babesia odocoilei clade and others to the Babesia microti sensu stricto clade.
This work represents the first association of Babesia spp. with I. fuscipes and highlights the importance of this type of study to detect and mitigate the emergence of diseases associated with these arthropods.
深色硬蜱是一种在南美洲南锥体地区发现的蜱虫物种，也是乌拉圭境内蓖麻硬蜱复合体的唯一成员。该复合体的成员尤其被认为是影响人类健康的疾病的传播媒介，如由巴贝斯属（顶复门：梨形虫纲）寄生虫引起的巴贝斯虫病。然而，尽管乌拉圭深色硬蜱的潜在宿主（啮齿动物、鸟类和偶蹄动物）是巴贝斯虫物种的已知携带者，但深色硬蜱作为梨形虫传播媒介的潜在作用尚未得到研究。
在本研究中，从乌拉圭的五个地点采集了正在觅食的深色硬蜱，并使用聚合酶链反应（PCR）评估梨形虫DNA的存在情况，以扩增小亚基核糖体RNA（18S rRNA）和细胞色素c氧化酶亚基1（COI）基因的片段。
共采集了953只蜱（幼虫、若虫和成虫）；14个样本（两个幼虫池和12只若虫）检测呈阳性。使用18S rDNA和COI序列进行的遗传分析显示，存在未描述的巴贝斯虫谱系，属于奥德科伊勒巴贝斯虫分支，其他属于狭义微小巴贝斯虫分支。
这项工作首次表明巴贝斯虫属与深色硬蜱有关联，并强调了这类研究对于检测和减轻与这些节肢动物相关疾病出现的重要性。
