Bittencourt Raphaela Bueno Mendes, Calchi Ana Cláudia, Neves Lucianne Cardoso, de Lima Nicolas Jalowitzki, Dos Santos Gabriel Cândido, Cardoso Ennya Rafaella Neves, Paula Warley Vieira de Freitas, Araújo Luciana Batalha de Miranda, Gonçalves Jessica Rocha, Sobreira Elisângela de Albuquerque, Baptista Luiz Alfredo Martins Lopes, Luz Hermes Ribeiro, André Marcos Rogério, Dantas-Torres Filipe, Krawczak Felipe da Silva
Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, GO, Brazil.
Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil.
Pathogens. 2025 Jun 12;14(6):585. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14060585.
Tick-borne piroplasmids are apicomplexan protozoa that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts, with significant implications for animal and human health. This study investigated the occurrence and genetic diversity of piroplasmids in wild mammals, unconventional pets, and associated ticks in Goiás state, midwestern Brazil. Between April 2023 and January 2024, 105 blood samples, 22 tissue samples, and 300 ticks were collected from 21 mammalian species housed in wildlife screening centers, zoos, and veterinary clinics. Molecular screening targeting the 18S rRNA gene of piroplasmids detected a 25.7% (27/105) overall positivity, with gray brockets () and South American tapirs () showing the highest infection rates. Three tick samples tested positive, including two nymphs and a male of collected from a tapir and capybara () was reported, for the first time, in cougars () from Goiás state, midwestern Brazil, indicating the role of this feline as a host of this parasite. was confirmed in a capybara, and in tapirs. Phylogenetic analyses clustered gray brockets-associated sequences with sp. previously detected in Neotropical deer from Brazil and . While the phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit III separated genotypes detected in from , -based phylogenetic inferences clustered the genotypes detected in with , suggesting host-specific evolutionary lineages. These findings contribute to the understanding of Piroplasmida diversity and circulation in South American wild mammals, emphasizing the need for enhanced molecular surveillance to elucidate transmission dynamics, assess potential health risks, and contribute to the establishment of wildlife conservation and One Health strategies.
蜱传梨形虫是顶复门原生动物，可感染多种脊椎动物宿主，对动物和人类健康具有重大影响。本研究调查了巴西中西部戈亚斯州野生哺乳动物、非常规宠物及其相关蜱中梨形虫的发生情况和遗传多样性。在2023年4月至2024年1月期间，从野生动物筛查中心、动物园和兽医诊所饲养的21种哺乳动物物种中采集了105份血液样本、22份组织样本和300只蜱。针对梨形虫18S rRNA基因的分子筛查检测到总体阳性率为25.7%（27/105），灰短角鹿（）和南美貘（）的感染率最高。三个蜱样本检测呈阳性，包括从一只貘身上采集的两只若虫和一只雄性 ，并且首次在巴西中西部戈亚斯州的美洲狮（）中报告了 ，这表明这种猫科动物作为这种寄生虫的宿主的作用。在一只水豚中确认了 ，在貘中确认了 。系统发育分析将与灰短角鹿相关的 序列与先前在巴西新热带鹿和 中检测到的 种聚类在一起。虽然细胞色素c氧化酶亚基III氨基酸序列的系统发育分析将在 中检测到的 基因型与 分开，但基于 的系统发育推断将在 中检测到的基因型与 聚类在一起，表明宿主特异性进化谱系。这些发现有助于了解南美野生哺乳动物中梨形虫的多样性和传播情况，强调需要加强分子监测以阐明传播动态、评估潜在健康风险，并为建立野生动物保护和“同一健康”战略做出贡献。
