CAROLINA CLARES DOS ANJOS
Índice h a partir de 2011
4
Projetos de Pesquisa
Unidades Organizacionais
LIM/49 - Laboratório de Protozoologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
4 resultados
Resultados de Busca
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- Molecular Investigation Confirms Myotis Genus Bats as Common Hosts of Polychromophilus in Brazil(2023) MATHIAS, Bruno da Silva; MINOZZO, Guilherme Augusto; BIONDO, Alexander Welker; COSTA, Jaciara de Oliveira Jorge; SOARES, Herbert Sousa; MARCILI, Arlei; GUIMARAES, Lilian de Oliveira; ANJOS, Carolina Clares dos; SANTOS, Andrea Pires Dos; RIEDIGER, Irina Nastassja; FECCHIO, Alan; BUENO, Marina Galvao; PINHO, Joao Batista; KIRCHGATTER, KarinPlasmodium 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. For example, Polychromophilus parasites, which are exclusive to bats, are described in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, but little is known about their presence and genetic diversity in the New World. In this study, 224 samples of bats from remaining fragments of the Atlantic Forest and Pantanal biomes, as well as urbanized areas in southern and southeastern Brazil, were analyzed for the presence of haemosporidian parasites by PCR of the mitochondrial gene that encodes cytochrome b (cytb). The PCR fragments of the positive samples were sequenced and analyzed by the Bayesian inference method to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships between Polychromophilus parasites from bats in Brazil and other countries. Sequences from Brazilian lineages of Polychromophilus were recovered in a clade with sequences from Polychromophilus murinus and close to the one Polychromophilus sequence obtained in Panama, the only available sequence for the American continent. This clade was restricted to bats of the family Vespertilionidae and distinct from Polychromophilus melanipherus, a parasite species mainly found in bats of the family Miniopteridae. The detection of Polychromophilus and the genetic proximity to P. murinus were further confirmed with the amplification of two other genes (clpc and asl). We also found a Haemosporida parasite sequence in a sample of Noctilio albiventris collected in the Pantanal biome, which presents phylogenetic proximity with avian Haemoproteus sequences. Morphological and molecular studies are still needed to conclude and describe the Polychromophilus species in Brazilian Myotis bats in more detail and to confirm Haemoproteus parasites in bats. Nevertheless, these molecular results in Brazilian bats confirm the importance of studying these neglected genera.
- Haemoproteus jenniae (Haemoproteidae, Haemosporida) infects gulls (Larus spp.) in South Africa, with redescription of Haemoproteus skuae(2023) VANSTREELS, Ralph E. T.; CHAGAS, Carolina R. F.; VALKIUNAS, Gediminas; ANJOS, Carolina C. dos; PARSONS, Nola J.; ROBERTS, David G.; SNYMAN, Albert; HURTADO, Renata; KIRCHGATTER, Karin; LUDYNIA, Katrin; PISTORIUS, Pierre A.Haemoproteus 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. The suborder Lari (order Charadriiformes) comprises similar to 170 avian species, the majority of which are aquatic, including gulls, terns, auklets, murres and skuas, among others. In spite of the diversity of this avian group, there is limited known diversity of haemosporidian parasites, with only 4 recorded Haemoproteus morphospecies thus far. We examined the blood smears of 21 kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) captured at a breeding colony in South Africa, as well as Haemoproteus-positive archival blood smears of 15 kelp gulls and 1 Hartlaub's gull (Larus hartlaubii) sampled while under care at seabird rehabilitation facilities in South Africa. Haemoproteus sp. infection was detected in 19% of wild-caught kelp gulls. All parasites from the gulls were morphologically identified as Haemoproteus jenniae, a species previously recorded in Lari birds at the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Rocas Atoll (Brazil) and Poland. Gene sequencing uncovered a new cytochrome b lineage, LARDOM01, which was closely related to the previously reported H. jenniae lineage CREFUR01. Additionally, we evaluated a hapantotype blood smear of Haemoproteus skuae, which had been described infecting a brown skua (Catharacta antarctica) in South Africa. We provide a redescription of H. skuae and discuss the morphological characters distinguishing it from H. jenniae. Further research is necessary to improve our knowledge about the host and geographic distribution, health effects and phylogeny of H. jenniae and H. skuae.
- Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in islands within a mega hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon(2023) ANJOS, Carolina C.; BICUDO, Thiago; FECCHIO, Alan; ANCIAES, Marina; MATHIAS, Bruno S.; CHAGAS, Carolina R. F.; BELL, Jeffrey A.; GUIMARAES, Lilian O.; MONTEIRO, Eliana F.; KIRCHGATTER, KarinThe 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. Avian malaria (Plasmodium) and related haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) are a globally distributed group of protozoan parasites recovered from all major bird groups. However, no study to date has analyzed the presence of avian haemosporidian parasites in fragmented areas such as land bridge islands formed during artificial flooding following the construction of hydroelectric dams. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and molecular diversity of haemosporidians in bird communities inhabiting artificial islands in the area of the Balbina Hydroelectric Dam. The reservoir area covers 443,700 ha with 3546 islands on the left bank of the Uatuma River known to contain more than 400 bird species. We surveyed haemosporidian infections in blood samples collected from 445 understory birds, belonging to 53 species, 24 families, and 8 orders. Passeriformes represented 95.5% of all analyzed samples. We found a low overall Plasmodium prevalence (2.9%), with 13 positive samples (two Plasmodium elongatum and 11 Plasmodium sp.) belonging to eight lineages. Six of these lineages were previously recorded in the Amazon, whereas two of them are new. Hypocnemis cantator, the Guianan Warbling Antbird, represented 38.5% of all infected individuals, even though it represents only 5.6% of the sampled individuals. Since comparison with Plasmodium prevalence data prior to construction of Balbina is not possible, other studies in artificially flooded areas are imperative to test if anthropogenic flooding may disrupt vector-parasite relationships leading to low Plasmodium prevalence.
- Occurrence of Hepatozoon in Some Reptiles from Brazilian Biomes with Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Hepatozoon caimani(2023) CLEMENTE, Gabriella R. C.; GUTIERREZ-LIBERATO, German A.; ANJOS, Carolina C.; SIMOES, Pedro I.; MUDREK, Jessica R.; FECCHIO, Alan; LIMA, Jose H. A.; OLIVEIRA, Patricia M. A.; PINHO, Joao B.; MATHIAS, Bruno S.; GUIMARAES, Lilian O.; KIRCHGATTER, Karin; BELK, Mark C.Amphibians and reptiles represent a considerable proportion of the vertebrate fauna in Brazil. Different blood parasitic infections have been reported in these groups, such as Haemogregarina, Hepatozoon, Trypanosoma and microfilariae. However, insufficient research on interactions between these parasites and their hosts has been carried out in some regions of the country. Samples were collected from populations of wild herpetofauna in different microhabitats throughout Brazil, totaling 111 samples of reptiles from the states of Mato Grosso and Pernambuco. We used an integrative approach, with classical microscopy, morphometry and molecular analysis, in order to identify hemoparasites present in the analyzed fauna. Genomic DNA was extracted for the PCR protocol based on the 18S ribosomal RNA gene for Hepatozoon spp. A total of 53 positives were obtained with molecular screening (47.7%), all confirmed as Hepatozoon spp. using DNA sequencing. Among positive samples, 23 slides were examined, confirming the presence of Hepatozoon spp. in 91.3% of the smears. The phylogenetic analysis performed with sequences from 43 samples resulted in a tree containing several distinct clades. Sequences were generally grouped according to the taxonomic order of the host. Co-infections with microfilariae and Trypanosoma spp. were also found in microscopy analyses. This study describes the presence of Hepatozoon caimani in a new host species (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) that can be a paratenic host in the natural environment. The existence of parasitic co-infections in alligator species underscores the significance of recognizing the impact of infections by various parasitic taxa on the host populations.