Infestation by Ornithodoros rietcorreai on captive Boa constrictor with reports of human parasitism and environmental colonization

Reptiles of the order Squamata are commonly parasitized by ticks in the family Ixodidae. However, they can also host argasid ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. In this study, we reported Ornithodoros rietcorreai parasitizing a Boa constrictor and a human in Caatinga Zoobotanical Park, within the 72nd Caatinga Infantry Battalion of the Brazilian Army in Petrolina, Pernambuco (PE). Thirty argasid tick specimens, including two larvae, 17 nymphs, four females, and seven males, were removed from the body surface of the snake. Substantial environmental infestations were observed within the snake enclosure, with ticks in the soil, beneath rocks, and on wood. In total, 126 tick specimens comprising 70 larvae, 13 nymphs, 17 females, and 26 males were collected from the environment. During the sampling process, a team member that was parasitized by larvae developed edema, erythema, and pruritus, at the bite sites after 24 h. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report parasitism by O. rietcorreai in a captive Boa constrictor in Brazil, along with a case of human parasitism within a snake enclosure.