Molecular detection of Rickettsia rhipicephali and hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. in Dermacentor panamensis from a Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine (Coendou mexicanus) in Veracruz, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Porcupines (Erethizontidae) are among the least studied rodents in the Americas, and information on their ectoparasites and associated pathogens remains scarce. In Mexico, data on ticks parasitizing the Mexican porcupine (Coendou mexicanus) are particularly limited and largely historical.

CASE PRESENTATION: The present study aimed to identify ticks and associated microorganisms collected from a C. mexicanus specimen in Veracruz, Mexico. A tick attached to the facial region of a porcupine was collected and analyzed using molecular approaches due to specimen damage. A fragment of the mitochondrial 16 S rRNA gene confirmed the specimen as Dermacentor panamensis, showing 98.75-99.25% identity with sequences from El Salvador. Pathogen screening revealed the presence of Rickettsia and a hemotropic Mycoplasma. Multilocus analysis (gltA, htrA, ompA, ompB) identified the rickettsial agent as Rickettsia rhipicephali, with sequence identities ranging from 98.81% to 100% compared to reference strains. Additionally, 23 S rRNA analysis showed 99.53% identity with 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemosphiggurus'.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study represents the first record of D. panamensis parasitizing porcupines in Mexico and extends its known distribution northward. It also provides the first molecular evidence of R. rhipicephali associated with this tick species in the country, as well as the first detection of a hemoplasma in this host-tick system. These findings highlight the need for further ecological and epidemiological studies to clarify the role of D. panamensis in pathogen transmission and to better understand host-vector-pathogen interactions in Neotropical ecosystems.