Argentina: Tick-borne bacteria detected in wildlife

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:17:24 -0300

INTA specialists detected, for the first time in the country, the ‘Ehrlichia chaffeensis’ bacteria in swamp deer and in the ticks that parasitize them. This is direct evidence of the possible existence of an active transmission cycle of this zoonotic pathogen in Argentine wildlife. The study was recently published in the international journal Parasites & Vectors.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an intracellular bacterium transmitted by ticks to deer, canids, and humans. In infected people, it can cause human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), a disease with flu-like symptoms that may require hospitalization. Recently, a team of researchers from the Institute of Agrobiotechnology and Molecular Biology (IABIMO) INTA-Conicet detected the bacterium in specimens of swamp deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) and in ticks of the species Amblyomma triste that were parasitizing them, direct evidence of the possible existence of an active transmission cycle of this zoonotic pathogen in Argentine wildlife.

Fauna Silvestre on Notaspampeanas

Argentina: Tick-borne bacteria detected in wildlife