Publications by authors named "Luiz R Goncalves"

The aim of this study was to detect trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma vivax, in blood smears, DNA of T. vivax and anti-T. vivax antibodies in samples from buffalos reared in the lowlands of Maranhão, Brazil.

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  • - Researchers investigated Anaplasma and Ehrlichia infections in beef cattle in Maputo, Mozambique, due to a lack of data on their economic impact and epidemiology.
  • - They collected blood samples from 200 healthy cattle and performed DNA testing, finding a high prevalence of Anaplasma marginale (71%) and Ehrlichia ruminantium (9.5%), with some co-infections.
  • - The study revealed significant genetic diversity in the Anaplasma species and identified five new genotypes of Ehrlichia ruminantium in the cattle from this region.
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Anaplasmosis, caused by bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, is an important tick-borne disease that causes economic losses to livestock farms in many countries. Even though Anaplasma spp. have been detected in goats and sheep worldwide, few studies investigate the occurrence and genetic identity of these agents in small ruminants from Brazil.

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The aim of this study was to estimate the occurrence of spp. per household in cats and the risk factors for spp. positivity in cats and their owners from Valdivia, Chile.

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Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurological disease caused by Sarcocystis neurona. Immunofluorescence antibody tests (IFATs) have been widely used to identify exposure of horses to S. neurona in Brazil.

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  • South American opossums serve as primary hosts for several Sarcocystis species, showing high genetic diversity in these parasites, particularly Sarcocystis falcatula-like forms in Brazil.
  • Researchers sequenced various genetic markers (SAG2, SAG3, SAG4, ITS-1, and cox1) from opossums in Campo Grande and São Paulo to investigate genetic diversity in Sarcocystis spp.
  • Four alleles for SAG2, 13 for SAG3, and more than 20 for ITS-1 were identified, indicating novel genetic variants, and further research is needed to better understand the role of opossums in hosting different Sarcocystis species.
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  • In São Paulo, Brazil, a study found that a significant percentage of homeless individuals tested positive for Bartonella spp. (72.5%) and typhus group rickettsiae (36.7%).
  • The presence of Bartonella quintana DNA was discovered in 17.1% of body louse pools and 0.9% of blood samples.
  • Clinicians should be aware of vectorborne diseases as possible causes of fever in people experiencing homelessness.
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  • The study evaluated the prevalence of IgG antibodies against A. marginale and the bacterium's occurrence in dairy cattle, focusing on its connection to clinical issues like retained placenta, mastitis, and abomasal displacement.
  • In a sample of 179 Holstein cows from three farms in Brazil, seropositivity rates varied significantly, with Farm A at 54%, Farm B at 69.4%, and Farm C at 27.3%, while qPCR indicated an overall 34.6% positivity.
  • The results revealed that cows testing positive for A. marginale had a drastically higher likelihood (52.48 times) of experiencing retained placenta and mastitis, underscoring the importance of preventative measures to reduce morbidity and
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Bartonellosis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution that infect a broad spectrum of mammalian species. Despite the recent studies carried out in Brazil, information regarding Bartonella in dogs are scarce. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study to investigate the exposure to Bartonella sp.

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White-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris) are well adapted to anthropized areas. The increased contact with domestic animals and humans mediates the transmission of arthropod-borne pathogens. Despite the worldwide occurrence of tick-borne Anaplasmataceae and Hepatozoidae species in a variety of vertebrates, few studies reported serological evidence or molecular detection of theses agentes in marsupials.

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  • Bartonelloses are diseases caused by Bartonella bacteria, with domestic cats acting as key hosts, particularly for species like B. henselae.
  • A study in southern Bahia, Brazil, found that 20.7% of blood samples and 23.9% of claw samples tested positive for Bartonella spp. in domestic cats, indicating a significant presence of these bacteria.
  • The research showed that younger, unsterilized cats that have access to the outdoors are more at risk for infection, although no major clinical or hematological issues were noted in the positive cases.
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  • Approximately 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, primarily transmitted by arthropod vectors, with significant reservoirs in free-living animals like rodents.
  • The study focused on identifying and characterizing a new Bartonella species found in free-living rodents from the Brazilian Pantanal, involving the collection of blood and spleen samples from various rodent species and employing PCR techniques for analysis.
  • A specific Bartonella isolate (strain 56A) obtained from a rodent was closely related to the Bartonella vinsonii complex, revealing a unique genome structure and significant phylogenomic similarities, indicating potential public health implications of these infections.
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Trypanosomiasis, caused by Trypanosoma vivax, is responsible for great economic losses among livestock in Africa and South America. During the life cycle of these parasites, they may present different morphological, metabolic and physiological characteristics depending on the interactions that are encountered at each point of their life cycle. Although T.

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Anaplasma marginale is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium found in ruminants' erythrocytes and is the etiological agent of bovine anaplasmosis. The bacterium's genetic diversity has been characterized based on sequences of major surface proteins (MSPs), such as MSP1α. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity of A.

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Although Bartonella spp. is described in cats worldwide, little is known about the occurrence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in cats from South America.

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outbreaks have been reported with increasing frequency worldwide, causing significant economic losses in livestock. Though several studies have suggested that cytokine responses may influence infection caused by sp., their exact role remains unclear and may vary according to the animal species and parasite strain.

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Anaplasma marginale is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium that is parasitic to erythrocytes and is the main agent of bovine anaplasmosis. This disease causes severe anemia and reduces weight gain and milk production, thus giving rise to major economic losses relating to livestock worldwide. The genetic diversity of this bacterium has been characterized based on sequences of major surface proteins (MSPs), especially MSP1α.

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  • Tick-borne diseases are a significant public health concern worldwide, particularly regarding their epidemiology and effects on host health.
  • The study conducted in Midwestern Brazil involved 262 horses, where researchers collected blood, serum, and ticks to analyze the presence of zoonotic Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Anaplasmataceae.
  • The results indicated a high exposure rate of 59.9% among the horses, with notable seropositivity for Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., and Anaplasmataceae, suggesting these bacteria could contribute to health issues like leukopenia and other hematological disorders in the infected horses.
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The order Piroplasmida encompasses tick-borne pathogens of veterinary and medical importance positioned in two main families: Babesiidae and Theileriidae. Even though previous studies carried out in Brazil recorded the occurrence of piroplasmid species circulating in small mammals, 18S RNA gene sequences were only partially sequenced, preventing the assessment of their phylogenetic positioning. The current study aimed to detect and characterize, using morphological, molecular, and bioinformatic approaches, piroplasmids from wild mammals and associated ticks sampled in Central-Western Brazil.

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Bartonella henselae is the causative agent for the infectious disease Cat Scratch Disease (CSD), which can be fatal. Domestic and wild felines are known to be its main mammal reservoirs. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp.

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Three different species of hemoplasmas have been described in rodents, Mycoplasma coccoides, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemomuris' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemosphiggurus'. Additionally, potentially novel hemoplasma species have been detected in wild rodents from Brazil, including capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). Capybaras are the largest rodent in the world and are well adapted to live within close proximity to humans, which increases the risk to spread of zoonotic pathogens.

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Serum and DNA samples from 15 naturally infected calves in Seropédica, Brazil, were obtained quarterly from birth to 12 months of age, in order to longitudinally evaluate their humoral immune response against Babesia bovis and the merozoite surface antigen diversity of B. bovis. Anti-B.

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  • Bartonella is a type of bacteria linked to mammals, and bats serve as natural reservoirs for many pathogens affecting both human and animal health.
  • A study in São Luís Island, Brazil, found no presence of Bartonella in bat blood samples, but identified it in 20% of bat flies from a specific family.
  • Genetic analysis revealed that the Bartonella sequences from these flies were closely related to those found in bats in other countries, suggesting a wider distribution of Bartonella among bat flies in South America.
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Urbanization results in loss of natural habitats and, consequently, reduction of richness and abundance of specialist to the detriment of generalist species. We hypothesized that a greater richness of trypanosomatid in Didelphis albiventris would be found in fragments of urban forests in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, that presented a larger richness of small mammals. We used parasitological, molecular, and serological methods to detect Trypanosoma spp.

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