A new Echimyidae (Mammalia, Rodentia) host of Amblyomma ovale Koch, 1844 in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, and a pathogen survey

Abstract The genus Amblyomma has the largest number of tick species in the Neotropical region. Amblyomma ovale displays high ecological plasticity and can be found in different habitats and a variety of vertebrate hosts. Small mammals of the family Echimyidae have been identified as hosts for this species. However, studies investigating their role as hosts of these ticks in the Amazon region are lacking. The present study aims to record the parasitic association between A. ovale and a Echimyidae species (Proechimys cuvieri) in the extreme north of the Brazilian Amazon, providing information about the research of potentially pathogenic organisms. Eight nymphs were collected and subjected to taxonomic and molecular identification, and pathogen screening was performed on the family Anaplasmataceae agents and the genera Bartonella, Coxiella, Hepatozoon, Mycoplasma, and Rickettsia. All the ticks were identified morphologically and molecularly as A. ovale, but PCR assays for pathogen detection showed no positive results for the target genes. This is the first time that A. ovale has been associated with P. cuvieri.