A “One health” approach to the understanding of mammals, ticks and Rickettsia interactions in the Andes of Colombia

Abstract

Infectious diseases, especially zoonotic, represent a significant global threat to both human and animal health. Ticks are among the primary vectors of pathogens affecting wild and domestic animals, some of which can also cause severe human diseases. To effectively face zoonotic diseases, the "One Health" approach is being promoted to integrate the health of human, animals, and ecosystems. Here, we identify the associations between ticks, rickettsiae, wild and domestic mammals, and humans in the Andean region of Colombia. A total of 366 ticks of 17 species belonging to the genera Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Ixodes, Ornithodoros, and Rhipicephalus were collected as free-living organisms, or parasitizing humans, wild (22 species) and domestic (3 species) mammals. Infection with Rickettsia parkeri strain NOD, Rickettsia cf. monacensis and ‘Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae’ was detected in 3.4% of the ticks analyzed (n = 3). This study highlights the diversity of ticks in humans and wild and domestic mammals in Colombia. It also underscores the risk these ectoparasites represent to human and animal health due to the potential transmission of zoonotic pathogens such as Rickettsia spp.