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Descrição
Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods that feed on mammals (including humans), birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They are considered significant vectors because they can transmit a high diversity of pathogens (bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and helminths), which can cause severe diseases (even lethal) in humans and animals. They are found across the globe and comprise approximately 984 species, with at least 25% occurring in the Neotropical region. In Colombia, approximately 58 tick species (43 Ixodidae and 15 Argasidae) have been confirmed; however, studies on regions such as Santander department (northeastern region) remain scarce. This study aimed to collect and identify tick species parasitizing domestic mammals and humans in rural settlements from three municipalities in the Santander department, a region with historical human cases of tick-borne diseases. A cross-sectional study was conducted using non-probabilistic sampling in the municipalities of Betulia, San Vicente de Chucurí, and Zapatoca (Santander, Colombia). Collections were conducted in different landscapes and altitudes, prioritizing domestic mammals (mainly canines, equines, and bovines) and humans who voluntarily donated the specimens. Ticks were collected from different body regions of the sampled animals. The specimens were preserved in individual vials per host with absolute ethanol and morphologically identified using dichotomous taxonomic keys. Geographic coordinates were recorded for subsequent spatial analyses. A total of 907 tick specimens were collected and classified as Amblyomma mixtum (436; 48.07%), Amblyomma ovale (58; 6.39%), Dermacentor nitens (33; 3.64%), Rhipicephalus microplus (66; 7.28%), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (289; 31.86%). Some immature specimens were classified as Amblyomma sp. (11; 1.21%) and Rhipicephalus sp. (3; 0.33%). Equines and canines were the most common sampled species, with 438 (48.29%) and 398 (43.88%) ticks collected, respectively. Other sampled hosts included bovines (55; 6.06%), humans (10; 1.10%), and felines (4; 0.44%). The altitude ranged from 362 to 1,775 m, with R. sanguineus s.l. being the species with the highest record. These findings confirm the presence of tick species of major public health concern in a region already known for tick-borne rickettsiae lethal human cases. Regional health authorities should consider these data when implementing epidemiological surveillance programs under the One Health framework.
| Palavras-chave | Zoonoses; vector-borne diseases; Amblyomma; Rhipicephalus; Dermacentor |
|---|---|
| Em qual formato você prefere apresentar seu trabalho? | Pôster |
| Deseja concorrer à premiação de melhores trabalhos? | Não |
| O seu trabalho se encaixa em qual dos 20 Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODSs)? | 3. Saúde e Bem-Estar |