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Ticks (Ixodidae) on humans in South America

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Abstract

Twenty eight species of Ixodidae have been found on man in South America (21 Amblyomma, 1 Boophilus, 2 Dermacentor, 2 Haemaphysalis, 1 Ixodes and 1 Rhipicephalus species). Most of them are rarely found on man. However, three species frequently parasitize humans in restricted areas of Argentina (A. neumanni reported from 46 localities), Uruguay (A. triste from 21 sites) and Argentina–Brazil (A. parvum from 27 localities). The most widespread ticks are A. cajennense (134 localities in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela), A. ovale (37 localities in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela) and A. oblongoguttatum (28 sites in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela). Amblyomma aureolatum (18 localities in Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana and Paraguay), A. cajennense, and A. triste are vectors of rickettsioses to man in South America. A better understanding of the respective roles of these and other tick species in transmitting pathogens to humans will require further local investigations. Amblyomma ticks should be the main subjects of these studies followed by species of Boophilus, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis and Rhipicephalus species. In contrast with North America, Europe and Asia, ticks of the genus Ixodes do not appear to be major players in transmitting diseases to human. Indeed, there is only one record of an Ixodes collected while feeding on man for all South America.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support of Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Asociación Cooperadora de la Estación Experimental Rafaela del Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (PIP 5721), Argentina, to AAG, SN and AJM. Financial support to DMBB, MBL, MJPS and JRM was given by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP 99/05446-8), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia and Fundação Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina

    A. A. Guglielmone, S. Nava & A. J. Mangold

  2. United States National Tick Collection, Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology and Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460-8056, USA

    L. Beati

  3. Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Parasitologia, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, Brazil

    D. M. Barros-Battesti

  4. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando M. de Paiva 87, 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil

    M. B. Labruna

  5. Departamento de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Veterinaria, Alberto Lasplaces, 1550, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay

    J. M. Venzal

  6. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Av. Pará 1720, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 2T, 38400-902, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    M. P. J. Szabó

  7. Fundação Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desiderio Finamor, Estrada do Conde 6000, 92990-000, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    J. R. Martins

  8. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile

    D. González-Acuña

  9. Facultad de Veterinaria, Unidad de Parasitología, Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain

    A. Estrada-Peña

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  1. A. A. Guglielmone
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Correspondence to A. A. Guglielmone.

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Guglielmone, A.A., Beati, L., Barros-Battesti, D.M. et al. Ticks (Ixodidae) on humans in South America. Exp Appl Acarol 40, 83–100 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-006-9027-0

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