First record of infestation of a pet sloth in Japan with the exotic tick Amblyomma geayi (Acari: Ixodidae)

Fumiya Urushiyama; Katsuki Matsubara; Kandai Doi; Masakatsu Taira; Tomoyoshi Komiya; Toshihiro Tokiwa

doi:10.1016/j.parint.2020.102157

First record of infestation of a pet sloth in Japan with the exotic tick Amblyomma geayi (Acari: Ixodidae)

Parasitol Int. 2020 Oct:78:102157. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102157. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Authors

Fumiya Urushiyama¹, Katsuki Matsubara², Kandai Doi³, Masakatsu Taira⁴, Tomoyoshi Komiya⁵, Toshihiro Tokiwa⁶

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan.
² Banquet Animal Hospital, Ikejiri, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Division of Virology and Medical Zoology, Chiba Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Chuo, Chiba, Japan.
⁵ Department of Medical Technology and Clinical Engineering, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
⁶ Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: tokiwa@nvlu.ac.jp.

PMID: 32534954
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102157

Abstract

On December 11, 2018, a single unengorged adult tick was found on the body surface of the trunk of an imported wild-caught Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) during a routine health check in an animal clinic in Tokyo, Japan. The tick was identified as Amblyomma geayi based on the morphological and molecular characteristics. This is the first case of the introduction of an Amblyomma species to Japan via an imported pet sloth. The present study highlights the current loopholes in Japan's regulatory system for animal imports.

Keywords: 16S mitochondrial gene; Amblyomma geayi; Exotic animal; Sloth; Tick.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Amblyomma / anatomy & histology*
Amblyomma / genetics*
Animals
Male
Pets / parasitology
Phylogeny
Sloths / parasitology*
Tokyo