COI DNA barcoding to differentiate Haemagogus janthinomys and Haemagogus capricornii (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes.

The genus Haemagogus (Diptera: Culicidae) includes species that are important vectors of pathogens such as the yellow fever virus. The accurate identification of these species is essential for the control of zoonoses. Females of Hg.

Prevalence and composition of haemosporidians in an avian community from a World Heritage area: Associations with host foraging strata and forest regeneration.

Forest regeneration is becoming a powerful tool to combat land conversion which covers 30 % of the Neotropical territory. However, little is known about the effect of forest regeneration on vector-borne diseases. Here, we describe the haemosporidian lineage composition across a successional gradient within an Atlantic Forest bird community.

Tracking arboviruses, their transmission vectors and potential hosts by nanopore sequencing of mosquitoes.

The risk to human health from mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever is increasing due to increased human expansion, deforestation and climate change. To anticipate and predict the spread and transmission of mosquito-borne viruses, a better understanding of the transmission cycle in mosquito populations is needed. We present a pathogen-agnostic combined sequencing protocol for identifying vectors, viral pathogens and their hosts or reservoirs using portable Oxford Nanopore sequencing.

Integrating artificial intelligence and wing geometric morphometry to automate mosquito classification.

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) comprise over 3500 global species, primarily in tropical regions, where the females act as disease vectors. Thus, identifying medically significant species is vital. In this context, Wing Geometric Morphometry (WGM) emerges as a precise and accessible method, excelling in species differentiation through mathematical approaches.

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.

Molecular Investigation Confirms Genus Bats as Common Hosts of in Brazil.

spp. and some other blood parasites belonging to the order Haemosporida are the focus of many epidemiological studies worldwide. However, haemosporidian parasites from wild animals are largely neglected in scientific research.

(Haemoproteidae, Haemosporida) infects gulls ( spp.) in South Africa, with redescription of .

spp. are dipteran-borne protozoa that infect erythrocytes and reticulo-endothelial cells of birds. These parasites are not usually transmitted between birds belonging to different orders.

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.

A New Recombinant Multiepitope Chimeric Protein of Is a Promising Marker for the Serodiagnosis of Leptospirosis.

The zoonotic disease leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic species of the genus and was recently included in the list of Neglected Diseases by the World Health Organization. Leptospirosis burden is estimated to have over a million human cases and cause 60 thousand deaths annually, in addition to its economic impact and veterinary concern. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT), recommended by the World Health Organization, exhibits reduced sensitivity at the beginning of the disease, in addition to being technically difficult.

A new haemosporidian parasite from the Red-legged Seriema (Cariamiformes, Cariamidae).

Haemoproteids (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae) are a diverse group of avian blood parasites that are transmitted by hematophagous dipterans. In this study, we describe sp. nov.

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.

Loss of forest cover and host functional diversity increases prevalence of avian malaria parasites in the Atlantic Forest.

Host phylogenetic relatedness and ecological similarity are thought to contribute to parasite community assembly and infection rates. However, recent landscape level anthropogenic changes may disrupt host-parasite systems by impacting functional and phylogenetic diversity of host communities. We examined whether changes in host functional and phylogenetic diversity, forest cover, and minimum temperature influence the prevalence, diversity, and distributions of avian haemosporidian parasites (genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) across 18 avian communities in the Atlantic Forest.

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%.

Wing Geometric Morphometrics as a Tool for the Identification of Subgenus Mosquitoes of (Diptera: Culicidae).

is the largest subgenus within the genus that includes important vectors of diseases. The correct identification of mosquitoes is critical for effective control strategies. Wing geometric morphometrics (WGM) has been used to identify mosquito species alongside traditional identification methods.

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.

Phylogeny of () (Diptera: Culicidae) Using Mitochondrial Genes.

Identification of mosquito species is necessary for determining the entomological components of malaria transmission, but it can be difficult in morphologically similar species. DNA sequences are largely used as an additional tool for species recognition, including those that belong to species complexes. mosquitoes are vectors of human and simian malaria in the Neotropical Region, but there are few DNA sequences of species in public databases.

Evolutionary ecology, taxonomy, and systematics of avian malaria and related parasites.

Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Haemoproteus are one of the most prevalent and widely studied groups of parasites infecting birds. Plasmodium is the most well-known haemosporidian as the avian parasite Plasmodium relictum was the original transmission model for human malaria and was also responsible for catastrophic effects on native avifauna when introduced to Hawaii. The past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in research on avian haemosporidian parasites as a model system to understand evolutionary and ecological parasite-host relationships.

Detection of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus in Muscovy Ducks, Wild Turkeys, and Chickens in Brazil.

Reticuloendotheliosis viruses (REVs) are known to cause immunosuppressive and oncogenic disease that affects numerous avian species. Reticuloendotheliosis viruses are present worldwide and recently have been reported in South America with cases of infected commercial flocks in Argentina. We surveyed for the presence of REV in birds from a state in the northern region of Brazil using real-time PCR.

An inverse latitudinal gradient in infection probability and phylogenetic diversity for Leucocytozoon blood parasites in New World birds.

Geographic variation in environmental conditions as well as host traits that promote parasite transmission may impact infection rates and community assembly of vector-transmitted parasites. Identifying the ecological, environmental and historical determinants of parasite distributions and diversity is therefore necessary to understand disease outbreaks under changing environments. Here, we identified the predictors and contributions of infection probability and phylogenetic diversity of Leucocytozoon (an avian blood parasite) at site and species levels across the New World.