Agradecimentos: Authors acknowledge Iguazu National Park for logistic support and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq (Academic Career Research Fellowship to M.P.J. Szabó and M.B. Labruna). This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq grant n° 445490/2014-4), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG - grant PPM 00191 - 16), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP grant 2015/18000-2 to A.R.M.B.). This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brazil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 (A.S.). Ver menos

Abstract: We report Rickettsia species from 2,334 ticks collected from environment (1,939 ticks) and animals (395 ticks) in the largest inland fragment of the Atlantic rainforest of southern Brazil and its fragments. Additionally, the DNA infection rates of Amblyomma ovale tick populations in the Neotropics with Rickettsia bellii and Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest were calculated using data from scientific publications, and their correlation was evaluated. From 11 tick species Rickettsia DNA was detected in seven (Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma incisum, Amblyomma longirostre, A. ovale, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Ixodes fuscipes) and was not detected in four species (Amblyomma dubitatum, Ixodes loricatus, Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato). DNA of five Rickettsia species was detected (R. bellii, Rickettsia amblyommatis, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi). To determine the prevalence of Rickettsia DNA positivity according to vector species, ticks were processed individually or in pools of 2–10 individuals (samples). The most prevalent Rickettsia species was R. bellii, found in 112 samples, followed by R. amblyommatis, R. rhipicephali, R. felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi, found in 16, five, two and one sample, respectively. Rickettsia bellii DNA was found in five tick species with the highest infection rate in A. ovale and A. brasiliense. Absence of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale ticks was an unexpected result. Furthermore, a negative correlation was identified between the infection rates (DNA) of R. bellii and/or R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest within A. ovale tick populations in the Neotropics. Putting together current knowledge, it can be proposed that, within natural settings, the diversity of rickettsiae and ticks creates a buffering effect on the overgrowth of rickettsiae and episodes of bacteremia in the hosts Ver menos