Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: GABRIELA PEREIRA SALCA DE ALMEIDA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : GABRIELA PEREIRA SALCA DE ALMEIDA
DATE: 18/11/2025
TIME: 13:00
LOCAL: Sala Prof. Laerte Grisi - LQEPV (Bloco G do Anexo I do IV)
TITLE:

Detection of hemoparasites in Felis catus (Linnaeus, 1758) and endosymbionts in Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1835) from samples collected in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro

KEY WORDS:

Hemoparasitic pathogens, Cat flea, Molecular biology

PAGES: 97
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Medicina Veterinária
SUMMARY:

Vector-borne diseases have been a growing concern in feline medicine due to their wide geographic distribution, zoonotic potential, and association with hematological and systemic alterations. In Brazil, studies including cats as hosts and interactions with fleas as protagonists are scarce, especially those correlating findings in both species. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of pathogens in C. felis felis and in blood samples from infested and non-infested cats in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, and to relate them to clinical and hematological parameters. Blood samples from 400 cats, 664 fleas, and 14 ticks were evaluated. In the present study, molecular screening for hemoparasitic pathogens in cat blood detected Mycoplasma spp. in 117 samples (29.3%), Bartonella spp. in 26 (6.5%), Babesia spp. in 3 (0.75%), and Cytauxzoon spp. In 2 (0.5%), Ehrlichia spp. was found in 1 (0.25%), and no samples tested positive for Anaplasma spp. However, no suggestive structures were observed in direct blood smear examination for any of the agents sought. In the readings of the buffy coats, structures compatible with morulae and/or inclusions suggestive of the Anaplasmataceae family were observed in 36 (9%) of the slides, of which only 14 were concomitantly positive in qPCR for some hemoparasite. Regarding the retroviruses analyzed, 81 (20.3%) were positive for FeLV and 14 (3.5%) for FIV, with 6 (1.5%) animals positive for both retroviruses. When analyzing the fleas of the 89 naturally infested animals, Bartonella spp. The most frequently detected microorganism was Feverfeline leukemia, with a positivity rate of 12.90% (16/124), followed by FeLV (10.48%; 13/124), Mycoplasma spp. (1.61%; 2/124), and FIV (0.81%; 1/124). No samples showed detection of Babesia spp., Cytauxzoon spp., Anaplasma spp., or Ehrlichia spp. Therefore, the occurrence of hemoparasites in fleas and cats in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, mostly with zoonotic characteristics, corroborates the need to implement control measures to prevent infection in cats and humans.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2929889 - THAIS RIBEIRO CORREIA AZEVEDO
Interno - 1354903 - DOUGLAS MCINTOSH
Externa ao Programa - 1299153 - PATRICIA GONZAGA PAULINO - UFRRJExterna à Instituição - BARBARA RAUTA DE AVELAR - UFJF