Identification of Rickettsias sp. and hemoparasites in ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus sanguineus in dogs from the city of San Juan Bautista, department of Misiones, Paraguay

Abstract

The main objective of the research work was the identification of Rickettsias sp. and hemoparasites in ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus sanguineus in dogs. A total of 62 adult ticks carried by 62 dogs from the Concepción neighborhood (urban area) of the city of San Juan Bautista, department of Misiones, Paraguay, in 2017, were analyzed (regardless of age, race and sex). A direct smear of the tick hemolymph extracted from the canines and stained with Wright staining was performed. The results revealed that 13% of the ticks were positive for Rickettsias sp. and hemoparasites. In detail, 6.5% showed the presence of elemental bodies of Ehrlichia spp., while another 6.5% presented vermiform bodies of Babesia spp. The remaining 87% of the samples were negative for Rickettsias sp. and hemoparasites. Regarding the canines whose ticks tested positive for Rickettsias sp. and hemoparasites, 4 canines that represent 50 % were male, while 4 canines corresponded to the female sex that represented 50 %. Regarding the age range of the canines sampled, 25 % represented canines under 1 year, 50 % canines between 1 and 5 years old, and 25 % canines older than 5 years. Regarding the breed of canines whose ticks were positive for Rickettsias sp. and hemoparasites, 37,5 % of the canines were purebred and 62,5 % were mixed breed.