Ticks in wild animals at a resort and the first documentation of Amblyomma sculptum infesting Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Abstract The study aimed to identify species of ticks present in the environment and among captive animals, in Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ticks were isolated from captive animals by manual examination and free-living ticks in the environment were captured using the flannel drag technique. A total of 91 ticks were obtained (51 adults, 25 nymphs and 15 larvae). The specimens were identified morphologically as Amblyomma sp., Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma ovale and Amblyomma sculptum , and were distributed among five species of native mammals and an exotic bird. This study also reports the first case of infestation of the Australian emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) by A. sculptum.

摘要：本研究旨在查明巴西里约热内卢州曼加拉蒂巴市环境中以及圈养动物体表的蜱虫种类。研究人员通过人工检视从圈养动物体表分离蜱虫，并采用绒布拖拽法采集环境中的自由生活蜱虫。最终共获取91只蜱虫，其中成虫51只、若虫25只、幼虫15只。经形态学鉴定，这些标本可归类为钝眼蜱属（Amblyomma）物种、可疑钝眼蜱（Amblyomma dubitatum）、卵形钝眼蜱（Amblyomma ovale）以及雕刻钝眼蜱（Amblyomma sculptum），它们分别寄生于5种本土哺乳动物与1种外来鸟类。本研究同时报道了澳大利亚鸸鹋（Dromaius novaehollandiae）被雕刻钝眼蜱（A. sculptum）寄生的首例病例。