Publications by authors named "M G Serpa"

The tick fauna of El Salvador is currently represented by 10 species of hard ticks (family Ixodidae) and 2 species of soft ticks (family Argasidae). This study aimed to report new and additional records of ticks and rickettsiae in El Salvador. During 2019-2021, a total of 216 specimens of ticks were collected from eight host species (domestic and wild animals) and in the environment among 15 geographic localities of El Salvador.

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Article Synopsis
  • Schizophrenia (SCZ) shows differences in brain structure and symptoms between men and women, suggesting distinct neurobiological factors linked to sex.
  • The study analyzed MRI data from nearly 6,000 participants to explore the effects of sex and diagnosis on the shape of deep brain regions in individuals with SCZ compared to healthy controls.
  • Results indicated that women with SCZ had more pronounced shape abnormalities than men, but there were no significant interactions between diagnosis and sex, highlighting the need for further exploration of sex-related differences in schizophrenia's neurobiology.
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Wild animals and domestic dogs living in human dwellings near forested areas can share ectoparasites, including ticks. In this study, we surveyed ticks associated with dogs which tutors living in the Palmares Environmental Protection Area (EPA Palmares). Dogs were classified into three categories, domiciled, semi-domiciled and wandering dogs according to dog care/ type of dwelling.

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Wild boars ( L.) are considered among the most harmful invasive species worldwide, causing irreversible ecosystem damage, acting as zoonotic spreaders and reservoirs, threatening human and animal health, and having an important economic impact. Accordingly, the present study has assessed the rickettsial exposure, tick infestation of wild boars, and rickettsial DNA presence in ticks from infested animals from the Cerrado biome in midwestern Brazil.

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This study aimed to detect, isolate and to characterize by molecular methods a relapsing fever group (RFG) in white-eared opossums () from Brazil. During 2015-2018, when opossums ( spp.) were captured in six municipalities of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, molecular analyses revealed the presence of a novel RFG sp.

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