Three Chigger Species (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) co-parasitizing a domestic cat in Brazil, including pathogen monitoring

Authors: JACINAVICIUS, F - Butantan Institute; PESENATO, I - Universidad De Sao Paulo; TAKATSU, JULIA - Butantan Institute; COUSANDIER, G - Universidad De Sao Paulo; Ochoa, Ronald - Ron; WELBOURN, W - Smithsonian Institute; BARROS-BATTESTI, D - Faculdade De Ciências Agrárias E Veterinárias De Jaboticabal-Unesp

Submitted to: Parasitology Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2023
Publication Date: 3/27/2023
Citation: Jacinavicius, F.C., Pesenato, I.P., Takatsu, J.C., Cousandier, G., Ochoa, R., Welbourn, W.C., Barros-Battesti, D.M. 2023. Three Chigger Species (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) co-parasitizing a domestic cat in Brazil, including pathogen monitoring. Parasitology Research. 49(2):120-127. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647954.2023.2189302.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01647954.2023.2189302

Interpretive Summary: Chiggers are parasitic mite pests of vet/med importance that attack wild and domestic animals including humans. There are over 300 genera known and more than 3,700 species of chiggers have been described worldwide. Our knowledge of chiggers in South America is increasing but still very limited. Understanding distribution and host associations are important to manage and monitor their impact of these mites as disease vectors. Recently we encountered a domestic cat affected by three different species of chiggers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, one of which represented a new species. The information presented here on chigger distribution and identification is important for people in vet/med research, quarantine and biologists.

Technical Abstract: The ecology of chigger mites has many unknown aspects, even with several recent studies addressing the taxonomy and systematics of this group. In Brazil, the chigger species recorded coparasitizing vertebrates include opossums in the Pernambuco State, lizards and rodents in the Piauí State, and rodents in the São Paulo State. Chiggers collected on a domestic cat, Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia: Felidae), from Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, were sent to the Acarological Collection of Instituto Butantan (IBSP) to be identified. The species were identified as eight larvae of Eutrombicula tinami, two larvae of Parasecia valida Brennan, Citation1969, and two specimens of the genus Eutrombicula Ewing, 1938, which have been described here as Eutrombicula bassinii n. sp. Additionally, we amplified partial 18S rRNA gene sequences for E. tinami and E. bassinii n. sp. However, the attempts to amplify fragments of the gltA gene of Rickettsia were unsuccessful. The present study reports the coparasitism in a domesticated feline with these three species, the second record of E. tinami, the first record P. valida to the Rio Grande do Sul State, and the description of E. bassinii.