Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in islands within a mega hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon.

The Brazilian Amazon supports an extremely diverse avifauna and serves as the diversification center for avian malaria parasites in South America. Construction of hydroelectric dams can drive biodiversity loss by creating islands incapable of sustaining the bird communities found in intact forest sites. Besides anthropogenic actions, the presence of parasites can also influence the dynamics and structure of bird communities.

DNA Barcoding of Morphologically Characterized Mosquitoes Belonging to the Genus from the Atlantic Forest and Brazilian Savanna.

The identification of mosquito species is necessary for determining the entomological components of disease transmission. However, identification can be difficult in species that are morphologically similar. The cytochrome oxidase subunit I () DNA barcode region is considered a valuable and reliable diagnostic tool for mosquito species recognition, including those that belong to species complexes.

Antibody Profile Comparison against MSP1 Antigens of Multiple Species in Human Serum Samples from Two Different Brazilian Populations Using a Multiplex Serological Assay.

has a wide geographic distribution, but mainly at very low parasitemias and in co-infections, leading to an underestimated prevalence of this species. Studies for the detection of antibodies against recombinant proteins are increasingly used to map geographical distributions, seroprevalence and transmission intensities of malaria infection. However, no seroepidemiological survey using recombinant proteins has been conducted in Brazil.

Assessing Diversity, Infection and Blood Meal Sources in Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from a Brazilian Zoological Park with Avian Malaria Transmission.

Avian malaria parasites are widespread parasites transmitted by Culicidae insects belonging to different genera. Even though several studies have been conducted recently, there is still a lack of information about potential vectors of parasites, especially in Neotropical regions. Former studies with free-living and captive animals in São Paulo Zoo showed the presence of several and species.

Avian Malaria and Related Parasites from Resident and Migratory Birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with Description of a New Species.

Determining the prevalence and local transmission dynamics of parasitic organisms are necessary to understand the ability of parasites to persist in host populations and disperse across regions, yet local transmission dynamics, diversity, and distribution of haemosporidian parasites remain poorly understood. We studied the prevalence, diversity, and distributions of avian haemosporidian parasites of the genera , , and among resident and migratory birds in Serra do Mar, Brazil. Using 399 blood samples from 66 Atlantic Forest bird species, we determined the prevalence and molecular diversity of these pathogens across avian host species and described a new species of .

Higher infection probability of haemosporidian parasites in Blue-black Grassquits (Volatinia jacarina) inhabiting native vegetation across Brazil.

Human induced changes on landscape can alter the biotic and abiotic factors that influence the transmission of vector-borne parasites. To examine how infection rates of vector-transmitted parasites respond to changes on natural landscapes, we captured 330 Blue-black Grassquits (Volatinia jacarina) in Brazilian biomes and assessed the prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) across avian host populations inhabiting environment under different disturbance and climatic conditions. Overall prevalence in Blue-black Grassquits was low (11%) and infection rates exhibited considerable spatial variation, ranging from zero to 39%.

Naturally Acquired Humoral Immunity against Malaria Parasites in Non-Human Primates from the Brazilian Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest.

Non-human primates (NHPs) have been shown to be infected by parasites of the genus , the etiological agent of malaria in humans, creating potential risks of zoonotic transmission. , a parasite species similar to of humans, have been described in NHPs from Central and South America, including Brazil. The merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1), besides being a malaria vaccine candidate, is highly immunogenic.

Recombinant proteins of Plasmodium malariae merozoite surface protein 1 (PmMSP1): Testing immunogenicity in the BALB/c model and potential use as diagnostic tool.

Background: Plasmodium malariae is the third most prevalent human malaria-causing species and has a patchy, but ample distribution in the world. Humans can host the parasite for years without presenting significant symptoms, turning its diagnosis and control into a difficult task. Here, we investigated the immunogenicity of recombinant proteins of P.

Genetic ancestry effects on the distribution of toll-like receptors (TLRs) gene polymorphisms in a population of the Atlantic Forest, São Paulo, Brazil.

The innate immune system governed by toll-like receptors (TLRs) provides the first line of defense against pathogens. Surface-localized TLR1 and TLR6 are known to detect parasite components. TLR encoding genes were shown to display signatures of recent positive selection in Europeans and might be involved in local adaptation at immune-related genes.

Diversity and distribution of avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites in captive birds from a Brazilian megalopolis.

Background: The role of zoos in conservation programmes has increased significantly in last decades, and the health of captive animals is essential to guarantee success of such programmes. However, zoo birds suffer from parasitic infections, which often are caused by malaria parasites and related haemosporidians. Studies determining the occurrence and diversity of these parasites, aiming better understanding infection influence on fitness of captive birds, are limited.

Hemosporidian parasites of free-living birds in the São Paulo Zoo, Brazil.

Numerous studies addressed the diversity of bird Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites. However, a few have been carried out in continental avian hotspot regions such as Brazil, a country with markedly different biomes, including Amazon, Brazilian Savanna, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal, and Pampas. We present the first study on hemosporidian (Haemosporida) parasites in free-living birds from an Atlantic Forest fragment where more than 80 avian species have been reported.

Plasmodium (Novyella) nucleophilum from an Egyptian Goose in São Paulo Zoo, Brazil: microscopic confirmation and molecular characterization.

Plasmodium (Novyella) nucleophilum was identified using microscopy and PCR, in an Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) that died in São Paulo Zoo, Brazil. This parasite is characterized by elongated gametocytes, small meronts with scant cytoplasm, less than eight merozoites and mainly for having all the stages appressed to the nuclei of infected erythrocytes. Additionally, Plasmodium (Haemamoeba) sp.