Sergio Bermúdez

The Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (GMI) | ICGES · Medical Entomology

Rickettsiales are obligate intracellular bacteria that need vertebrates and arthropods to maintain their life cycles. Some species of the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia are transmitted by ticks to both animals and humans and can cause mild to severe and even fatal cases. In the Americas, there is substantial data on rickettsial agents,...

Roadkill is among the leading causes of non-natural mortality of wildlife. To describe roadkilled wild vertebrates during 2007-2020 in Panamá, from nonsystematic observations. Each road or highway was characterized according to the number of lanes, the presence or absence of sidewalksly and carriageway, the type of road (dirt road, one-way, two-way...

Ticks are hematophagous arthropods that naturally maintain and spread infectious microorganisms (MOs), such as viruses, bacteria, protozoans, and helminths. In fact, ticks are the main vectors of MO in wild vertebrates. In the Neotropical Zoogeographical Region (NZR), the study of tick-borne MO in wild animals has gained attention because pathogens...

During a molecular screening of rickettsial, borrelial and protozoal agents in ticks from rural areas of Panama, we detected DNA of Rickettsia amblyommatis in four Amblyomma mixtum collected from horses in a locality in Los Santos province. Ehrlichia minasensis and Anaplasma marginale were identified from three and two Rhipicephalus microplus, resp...

Primer reporte de Haemaphysalis juxtakochi parasitando humano en Yucatán, con notas sobre las garrapatas que parasitan humanos en México

Ixodes chacoensis n. sp. is described based on males, females, nymphs and larvae collected from vegetation, ungulates and passerine birds in northeastern Argentina. Ixodes affinis Neumann, 1899 is redescribed based on the original type specimens (females) from Leopardus pardalis, and from recently collected specimens from Costa Rica. Ixodes keirans...

In this comprehensive review study, we addressed the challenge posed by ticks and tickborne diseases (TBDs) with growing incidence affecting human and animal health worldwide. Data and perspectives were collected from different countries and regions worldwide, including America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The results updated the current sit...

All data are disclosed in the paper and Supplementary Materials.

La fauna silvestre puede ser reservorio de numerosos patógenos que pueden poseer importancia zoonótica; sin embargo, debido a las dificultades en la captura y manejo de estos animales, en muchas ocasiones se hace complicado obtener muestras para analizar. En este trabajo se presentan ejemplos citados de la literatura sobre cómo las carcasas de anim...

We have read with great interest the manuscript by Daza et al., in which the authors delve into the clinical aspects of the recently published article by Zaldívar et al. We would like to address six aspects of Daza's manuscript that need clarification.

The Andean bear or spectacled bear, Tremarctos ornatus (Cuvier), inhabits the Andes and is considered an endangered species due to anthropogenic factors. The aim of this study was to identify the tick species parasitizing the Andean bears in the evergreen shrubland and paramo grassland ecosystem in the Andes Mountain Range of Ecuador. Twenty-six ti...

ASBTRACT: A total of 38 ticks were collected on black spiny-tailed iguana, Ctenosaura similis, in a secondary dry forest from northern lowlands of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. At the time of finding, the animal has not mobility of the hind legs and tail. Ticks were identified morphological and molecularly as Amblyomma scutatum. PCR amplification tests t...

In May 2022 and August 2022, two children, ten and 8-years old, respectively, were attended for foreign body sensation, pain, and discomfort in their ears. During the evaluation of the first case, a tick attached to his tympanic membrane was observed, whilst three ticks were evidenced in the ear canal and membrane tympanic of case 2. Ticks were ide...

Se reporta por primera vez para República Dominicana el ácaro Ornithonyssus bursa (Berlese) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) y un caso de dermatitis provocado por este ácaro a humanos. El caso estuvo relacionado a una infestación de ácaros originada en nidos de Passer domesticus L. Se sospecha que casos como este podrían estar ocurriendo con má...

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has proven to be important for the taxonomy, systematics, and population genetics of ticks. However, current methods to generate mitogenomes can be cost-prohibitive at scale. To address this issue, we developed a cost-effective approach to amplify and sequence the whole mitogenome of individual tick specimens....

We aim to provide a harmonized view of the factors that affect the survival and promote the spread of R. microplus in the Neotropics, approaching its different facets of biology, ecology, distribution, and control. We review the interactions among environmental niche, landscape fragmentation, vegetal coverage (abiotic traits), and the biotic aspect...

Ixodes brevisetosus n. sp. from Papua New Guinea, Ixodes contrarius n. sp. from Costa Rica, Ixodes guglielmonei n. sp. from Argentina and Chile, Ixodes insulae n. sp. from Australia, Ixodes moralesi n. sp. from Guatemala and Panama, Ixodes rio n. sp. from Brazil, Ixodes robbinsi n. sp. from Canada and the United States and Ixodes tinamou n. sp. fro...

Phoneutria depilata is considered Panama´s most relevant spider species due to its aggressivity and venom. In this article, we described a case of P. depilata bite in a woman from Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. The symptoms included severe pain, swelling in the bite site, palpitation of submandibular ganglia, abundant salivation, tachycardia, and...

This work provides an updated distribution of Aotus zonalis in Panama, including a compilation of new localities, historical records, literature reviews, and citizen science reports. One new location from Los Santos Province and fifteen from Veraguas Province represent a westward expansion of approximately 100 kilometers of the continental distribu...

Este trabajo proporciona una distribución actualizada de Aotus zonalis en Panamá, incluyendo una compilación de nuevas localidades, registros históricos, revisión literaria y reportes de ciencia ciudadana. Una nueva localidad en la provincia de Los Santos y quince en la provincia de Veraguas, representan una expansión occidental de aproximadamente...

Background Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is a globally prevalent, yet under-studied vector-borne disease transmitted by soft and hard bodied ticks. While soft TBRF (sTBRF) spirochetes have been described for over a century, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms facilitating vector and host adaptation is poorly understood. This is due to...

Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that parasitize most groups of terrestrial or semiaquatic vertebrates. Humans are accidental hosts to the ticks; however, in humans the ticks can cause damages varying from simple irritation to severe allergies, toxicosis, paralysis, and the transmission of pathogens, some of which can be fatal. Central America re...

Tick bites in humans are associated with the transmission of pathogens, anaphylactic shock, paralysis, and secondary infections. In this work we described six cases of tick bites in patients from Panama and Costa Rica. These bites were provoked for adults of Ornithodoros puertoricensis, Amblyomma cf. oblongoguttatum, Amblyomma ovale, and Ixodes cf....

In this work we describe abnormalities in Amblyomma coelebs and Amblyomma cf. oblongoguttatum adults collected from Tapirus bairdii. The observed anomalies in adults corresponded to general (asymmetry of scutum and idiosoma), and local malformation (atrophy and ectromely). This is the first record of morphological anomalies in A. coelebs and also i...

Ticks have complex life cycles which involve blood-feeding stages found on wild and domestic animals, with humans as accidental hosts. At each blood-feeding stage, ticks can transmit and/or acquire pathogens from their hosts. Therefore, the circulation of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), especially the zoonotic ones, should be studied in a multi-layere...

An updated checklist of chiggers from the family Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae is presented, with 81 species in 38 genera parasitizing different terrestrial vertebrate hosts in Panama. The depository for all Panamanian records, including new localities and host-associations records for the species Blankaartia sinnamaryi (Floch and Fauran, 1956...

The Rhipicephalus sanguineus group encompasses at least 12 validated species of Palearctic and Afrotropical hard ticks, which are relevant in veterinary medicine and public health. The taxonomy of R. sanguineus s.s., has been particularly intensely debated, due to its wide geographic distribution, morphological variants, parasite-host associations,...

Opinion: This article presents the potential relevance of Rhipicephalus microplus to human health, in addition to pointing out the importance of expanding the differential diagnosis to other types of tick-associated pathogens in patients with nonspecific febrile symptoms and whose results are negative in disease analysis. known vector and infectiou...

Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) spirochetes are likely an overlooked cause of disease in Latin America. In Panama, the pathogens were first reported to cause human disease in the early 1900s. Recent collections of Ornithodoros puertoricensis from human dwellings in Panama prompted our interest to determine whether spirochetes still circulate in t...

This paper presents data on free-living ticks collected by flagging and using CO2 traps in three natural areas in Costa Rica: Carara National Park (CNP), Palo Verde National Park (PVNP), and a Private Forest Reserve in Sarapiquí (SPR). Data were analyzed calculating aspects of alpha diversity (species richness, entropy; dominance index, and evennes...

The first molecular screening for Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Borrelia, Babesia and Hepatozoon was carried out in questing Ixodes cf. boliviensis and Ixodes tapirus from Talamanca Mountains, Panama, using specific primers, sequencing and phylogeny. Phylogenetic analyses for the microorganisms in Ixodes cf. boliviensis confirmed the presence o...

Three new feather mite species of the Nycteridocaulus generic group (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae) are described from passerines in Panama: Atrichophyllodes myrmotherulaesp. n. from the Slaty Antwren, Myrmotherula schisticolor (Lawrence) (Thamnophilidae), Nycteridocaulus apanaskevichi sp. n. from the Grey-breasted Wood Wren, Henicorhina leu...

We report new cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in patients from Kinkantu, Ngäbe-Bugle indigenous comarca, Panama. We isolated Rickettsia rickettsii in cell culture after intraperitoneal inoculation of guinea pigs with tissues from a deceased patient. Our results indicate that Rocky Mountain spotted fever is emerging in this region.

This paper presents new data about Rickettsia species detected in ticks collected from wild animals, using 16S rRNA, gltA and ompA. Rickettsia DNA was found in 66 of 101 ticks. Using EZ BioCloud libraries were produced reads that identified Rickettsia aeschlimannii, and Illumina BaseSpace produced reads of Rickettsia rickettsii group, Rickettsia be...

During tapir capture expeditions in Indio Maiz Biological Reserve, southeast Nicaragua, 91 Ixodid ticks were collected from seven free range Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii), corresponding to Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma cf. oblongoguttatum, and Amblyomma ovale. In addition, A. coelebs (one male and five nymphs) were collected on a person. This pape...

The ectoparasite Varroa (Acari: Varroidae) is considered to be the main pest of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in Nicaragua. The aim of this study was to determine morphotypes and mitochondrial haplotypes of the Varroa mites, related to infestation levels in A. mellifera hives in Nicaragua in a cross-sectional study (2013–2016). Samples were taken...

In this work, we describe abnormalities in adults of Amblyomma mixtum, Amblyomma naponense, Amblyomma cf. oblongoguttatum and Amblyomma tapirellum of Costa Rica. General anomalies manifested as body asymmetry, nanism, and gigantism, while local anomalies occurred in the legs, festoons, anal pore and spiracle. These are the firsts mention of abnorma...

Little is known about the distribution and ecology of the Central American woolly opossum (Caluromys derbianus) in Panamá. Therefore, the aim of this study is to update geographical data and ecological information to fill this gap. Based on examinations of museum specimens, published data and field observations, we obtained 362 records of C. derbia...

Rickettsia amblyommatis is widely distributed in the Americas, and has been reported to infect different species of ticks within its distribution. In Panama, R. amblyommatis is the most common Rickettsia and its presence was molecularly detected in nine species of ticks and one flea species. This work described the isolation of R. amblyommatis in V...

The Central American population of scorpions previously misidentified as Tityus pachyurus Pocock, 1897 is described as a new species, which is endemic of most parts of Panama and Limon Province in Costa Rica. As recorded by several authors, those two species are responsible of most of the grave cases by scorpion stinging in Colombia and Panama.

p>Resumen: El género Ananteris Thorell, 1891 contiene gran variedad de especies de escorpiones Neotropicales de la familia Buthidae. En Panamá, este género está representado por dos especies. Se describe un reporte de caso de picadura de Ananteris platnicki Lourenço, 1993 en Panamá. Este constituye el primer reporte de envenenamiento por el género...

In total, 341 fleas belonging to 16 species were collected from 78 host mammals belonging to 10 species in Panamá from 2010 to 2016. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché) predominated on domestic dogs and was also recorded from domestic cats, the raccoon, Procyon lotor (Linnaeus) and the common opossum, Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus. The la...

During a review of the Tick Collection of the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Panama, of 6,624 Ixodidae analyzed, 255 presented abnormalities. We detail morphological abnormalities and gynandomorphism in adults of 16 species: Amblyomma auricularium, A. calcaratum, A. dissimile, A. mixtum, A. naponense, A. cf. oblongoguttatum, A. ovale, A. sabanerae, A...

Ornithodoros capensis sensu lato (s.l.) is a morphologically similar group of soft ticks that parasitizes mostly seabirds in continental and offshore territories worldwide. Ornithodoros capensis sensu stricto (s.s.) has been previously recorded in many islands and coastal localities along the American continent; however, some records from Central A...

A new feather mite genus Dendrocolaptobius gen. n. belonging to the Nycteridocaulus generic group (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae) is described. The genus includes two species associated with woodcreepers (Furnariidae: Dendrocopaptinae): Dendrocolaptobius cuneiformis (Mironov, 2017) comb. n. previously described from Sittasomus griseicapillus...

Objective: To determine the presence of Rickettsia typhi in Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. and Amblyomma mixtum in southern Mexico. Materials and methods: Ticks were collected in humans and domestic animals. The presence of Rickettsia was determined by PCR and sequencing. Results: 10/39 work vials amplified fragments of the gltA, htrA and ompB...

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from wild birds in Panama were tested for the presence of tick-borne pathogens as Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Borrelia, Hepatozoon sp., and Babesia. Overall 124 ticks were found in 57 birds belonging to 28 species: Amblyomma longirostre (32 larvae, 1 nymph), Amblyomma nodosum (30 nymphs), Amblyomm...

A total of 10 females and 6 males of Dermacentor dissimilis were collected from horses and cows in Nicara-gua. Four of these females presented malformations, while two nymphs were in the process of molting to adult. Further studies are necessary to find out whether this phenomenon is widespread among D. dissimilis specimens, and what the reasons fo...

We report the parasitism of a male of Amblyomma mixtum and a molt nymph-adult of Rhipicephalus mi-croplus in Darién, Panamá. These data increase the number of tick species that parasitize free-living jaguars in Panama and add information on the environmental conditions that favor the parasitism of A. mixtum and R. microplus.

In this work, we present the first report of an interaction between Geckobiella stamii and Amblyomma dissimile removed from green iguanas (Iguana iguana) of Panama. From 3045 A. dissimile examined, one larva, two females and one male had mites adhered to the body and 23 female and 3 male ticks had mite eggs on the ventral surface of the idiosoma. T...

A new quill mite species, Syringophilopsis bochkovi sp. n. (Acariformes: Syringophilidae), is described from two species of manakins (Passeriformes: Pipridae), Corapipo altera (type host) and Manacus vitellinus collected in Panama. Females of the new species differ from those of morphologically similar S. nitens Skoracki et Dabert, 2001 by the foll...

En este trabajo se compila la información disponible sobre ácaros ectoparásitos de serpientes en Panamá. Se enlistas seis especies de ácaros, pertenecientes a los Órdenes Trombidiformes, Mesostigmata e Ixodida.

La fiebre manchada causada por Rickettsia rickettsii es por mucho la enfermedad transmitida por garrapatas más importante en América Latina y una de las zoonosis más relevante del continente. En Panamá esto es notorio si se considera que los casos confirmados de la misma se han registrado en dos series: 1950-1951, donde se presentaron cinco casos,...

The datasets of records of the distribution of ticks and their hosts are invaluable tools to understand the phylogenetic patterns of evolution of ticks and the abiotic traits to which they are associated. Such datasets require an exhaustive collection of bibliographical references. In most cases, it is necessary the confirmation of reliable identif...

RESUMEN Se presenta el hallazgo de la bacteria Rickettsia bellii en la garrapata Amblyomma rotundatum en Panamá. PALABRAS CLAVES Amblyomma rotundatum, Rickettsia no patogénica, sapo, Panamá. MOLECULAR DETECTION OF Rickettsia bellii IN Amblyomma rotundatum Koch 1884 (IXODIDA: IXODIDAE) IN PANAMÁ ABSTRACT The finding of the bacterium Rickettsia belli...

Hard tick diversity was determined along the Oleoducto trail (OT), Soberania National Park, from February 2013 to September 2014. Ticks were surveyed at four sites of 500 m2 each and with increasing forest cover gradient and decreasing disturbance. Tick collections were made by dragging and flagging vegetation, and traps and mist nets were used to...

Las rickettsiosis son zoonosis causadas por bacterias del género Rickettsia, las cuales se dividen en los grupos Tifus y Fiebres Manchadas. Rickettsia rickettsii es el agente causal de la fiebre manchada de las Montañas Rocosas y la especie más patogénica del género y ha provocado una alta mortalidad en los últimos años, especialmente en países com...

Ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites that are associated with a wide range of vertebrate hosts, among them also reptiles and amphibians. They have dynamic ecological interactions with multiple microorganisms, ranging from endosymbionts to pathogens, such as the members of the genus Rickettsia. The aim of this work was to detect Rickettsi...

p>[Characterization of the First Case of Human Infection by Ehrlichia canis in Panama] Resumen Ehrlichia canis fue considerada un patógeno exclusivo de caninos y tiene como su principal vector a garrapatas del complejo Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Diversos estudios de casos demuestran que también puede producir patología en humanos, de las que hast...

Se reporta la presencia de 37 especies de Ixodidae en Panamá, 18 especies del género Amblyomma, 11 de Ixodes, cuatro de Dermacentor, dos de Haemaphysalis y dos de Rhipicephalus; cuatro especies se tienen en duda. Para cada especie se presentan datos de distribución geográfica, hospederos en Panamá y características morfológicas.

Las rickettsiosis son zoonosis causadas por bacterias del género Rickettsia. Estas bacterias son transmitidas al hombre a través de artrópodos ectoparásitos. Las rickettsiosis se dividen en los grupos Tifus (dos especies transmitidas por piojos y pulgas) y las Fiebres Manchadas (cerca de 20 especies transmitidas por ácaros y pulgas). Rickettsia ric...

A new feather mite genus Armophyllodes gen. n. (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae) is established based on two new species, Armophyllodes gracilis sp. n. (type species) and A. robustus sp. n., described from the Olivaceous flatbill, Rhynchocyclus olivaceus (Temminck) (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae), in Panama. The new genus is related to the Nycteri...

Durante los años 2010 a 2017, ocho saínos (Peccari tajacu) capturados en la Cuenca del Canal de Panamá se encontraron parasitados por las garrapatas Amblyomma pecarium, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Amblyomma ci. oblongoguttatum, Amblyomma naponense y Amblyomma tapirellum. Por otro lado, a saínos en cautiverio de esta misma región se les extrajeron las...

In this paper, we present a historical review of rickettsiosis in Central America and also the most recent findings of Rickettsia in ectoparasites. All countries of Central America have records of rickettsiosis. Regarding the typhus group rickettsioses, there is clinical or serological evidence of Rickettsia prowazekii in Guatemala, Rickettsia typh...

The clinical and pathologic characterisation of two fatal cases of tick-borne rickettsiosis in rural (El Valle) and urban (City of Panama) Panama are described. Clinical and autopsy findings were non-specific, but the molecular analysis was used to identify Rickettsia rickettsii in both cases. No ticks were collected in El Valle, while in the urban...

Two new feather mite species of the superfamily Analgoidea are described from the hairy woodpecker Leuconotopicus villosus (Linnaeus, 1766) (Piciformes: Picidae) in Panama: Pterotrogus panamensis n. sp. (Pteronyssidae) and Trouessartia hernandesi n. sp. (Trouessartiidae). Pterotrogus panamensis belongs to the simplex species group and most clearly...

Propósito: dar a conocer un caso de muerte inesperada por Rickettsiosis, sus implicaciones médico-legales y epidemiológicas. Temas: infecciones agudas, muerte inesperada, demanda de mala praxis médica y consecuencias epidemiológicas del diagnóstico de enfermedad infecciosa. Desarrollo: este artículo hace referencia al caso de un adolescente, domici...

Ixodes bocatorensis n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), is described based on adults ex agoutis (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae), pacas (Rodentia: Cuniculidae) and “tapir and sloth” (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae and Pilosa) from Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. Adults of I. bocatorensis n. sp. are similar to those of I. lasallei Méndez & Ortiz, 1958 but can be distingu...