RESUMEN
Ontogenetic sexual dimorphism is observed in different primate species, with ecological and evolutionary relationships explaining this pattern. Understanding the growth of the southern brown howler monkey elucidates not only the ecology and evolution but also contributes to conservation projects for this species. Throughout 20 years of the Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial-Projeto Bugio, Brazil, we collected morphological data on 105 howlers of the Alouatta guariba species to identify the growth differences between ontogenetic categories and sexes and generate a growth curve to estimate the age of rescued individuals. Linear measurements were employed to obtain body length as well as the dimensions of the head and limbs. All individuals were also weighed to obtain body mass. We assessed growth rate and duration using allometric analysis based on the individuals' ages. We compared growth rate and duration among infant, juvenile, and adult howlers and between sexes. We provide growth curves for body size for both sexes using the Von Bertalanffy model. Infants have accelerated growth rate in comparison to the juveniles and adults, with no differences between sexes in establishing body length at this ontogenetic stage. Males have a prolonged development duration from the juvenile stage, reaching adulthood later than females, which explains the body length differences found in this species. Variables of head and limbs analyzed also showed differences in growth rate and duration, but not so consistently among ontogenetic stages. Mass was not a good variable to understand the growth differences of the animals, since many arrived feeble in the project and may have lost mass due to different circumstances in old age. Therefore, growth curves were obtained only for body length, allowing the estimation of the age of these animals when rescued from the wild to more effectively provide needed care in captivity.
Asunto(s)
Alouatta , Tamaño Corporal , Animales , Alouatta/anatomía & histología , Alouatta/crecimiento & desarrollo , Alouatta/fisiología , Masculino , Femenino , Brasil , Conservación de los Recursos Naturales , Caracteres SexualesRESUMEN
Non-human primates (NHPs) are the group that most share infectious agents with humans due to their close taxonomic relationship. The southern brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) are endemic primates from Brazil and Argentina's Atlantic Forest. This study aimed to investigate the presence of intestinal parasites in free-living (FL) and captive (CA) southern brown howler monkeys. Thirty-nine stool samples were collected in two areas in southern Brazil, 15 FL and 24 CA. Stool sediments obtained by centrifugal sedimentation technique were used for microscopic analysis and direct immunofluorescence assay and evaluated by molecular analysis through amplification and sequencing of TPI fragments. Intestinal parasites Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., and Trypanoxyuris minutus were detected at coproparasitological analysis. This is the first report of the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in free-living howlers. The molecular characterization of G. duodenalis isolates indicated assemblage B for the first time found in free-living A. guariba clamitans. The high prevalence of G. duodenalis transmission in CA howler monkeys can be explained by direct contact with humans and frequent soil contact. The presence of a potentially zoonotic assemblage in these animals indicates that the process of fragmentation and cohabitation with humans and livestock affects the wildlife, thus indicating a need for eco-health measures.
Asunto(s)
Alouatta , Giardia lamblia , Giardiasis , Enfermedades de los Monos , Animales , Alouatta/parasitología , Brasil/epidemiología , Enfermedades de los Monos/parasitología , Enfermedades de los Monos/epidemiología , Giardiasis/veterinaria , Giardiasis/parasitología , Giardiasis/epidemiología , Giardia lamblia/aislamiento & purificación , Giardia lamblia/genética , Giardia lamblia/clasificación , Heces/parasitología , Animales de Zoológico/parasitología , Cryptosporidium/aislamiento & purificación , Cryptosporidium/clasificación , Cryptosporidium/genética , Prevalencia , Masculino , Animales Salvajes/parasitología , Femenino , Criptosporidiosis/parasitología , Criptosporidiosis/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Plasmodium species of non-human primates (NHP) are of great interest because they can naturally infect humans. Plasmodium simium, a parasite restricted to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, was recently shown to cause a zoonotic outbreak in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The potential of NHP to act as reservoirs of Plasmodium infection presents a challenge for malaria elimination, as NHP will contribute to the persistence of the parasite. The aim of the current study was to identify and quantify gametocytes in NHP naturally-infected by P. simium. METHODS: Whole blood samples from 35 NHP were used in quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assays targeting 18S rRNA, Pss25 and Pss48/45 malaria parasite transcripts. Absolute quantification was performed in positive samples for 18S rRNA and Pss25 targets. Linear regression was used to compare the quantification cycle (Cq) and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between the copy numbers of 18S rRNA and Pss25 transcripts. The number of gametocytes/µL was calculated by applying a conversion factor of 4.17 Pss25 transcript copies per gametocyte. RESULTS: Overall, 87.5% of the 26 samples, previously diagnosed as P. simium, were positive for 18S rRNA transcript amplification, of which 13 samples (62%) were positive for Pss25 transcript amplification and 7 samples (54%) were also positive for Pss48/45 transcript. A strong positive correlation was identified between the Cq of the 18S rRNA and Pss25 and between the Pss25 and Pss48/45 transcripts. The 18S rRNA and Pss25 transcripts had an average of 1665.88 and 3.07 copies/µL, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between the copy number of Pss25 and 18S rRNA transcripts. Almost all gametocyte carriers exhibited low numbers of gametocytes (< 1/µL), with only one howler monkey having 5.8 gametocytes/µL. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, a molecular detection of P. simium gametocytes in the blood of naturally-infected brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) was reported here, providing evidence that they are likely to be infectious and transmit P. simium infection, and, therefore, may act as a reservoir of malaria infection for humans in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
Asunto(s)
Malaria , Plasmodium , Animales , Humanos , ARN Ribosómico 18S/genética , Brasil/epidemiología , Plasmodium/genética , Malaria/epidemiología , Malaria/veterinaria , Malaria/parasitología , Primates/genética , Bosques , Plasmodium falciparum/genéticaRESUMEN
Human malaria due to zoonotic transmission has been recorded in the Atlantic Forest, an extra-Amazonian area in Brazil, which are a challenge for malaria control. Naturally acquired humoral immune response against pre-erythrocytic and erythrocytic antigens of Neotropical primates (NP) was evaluated here to improve the knowledge about the exposure of those animals to the malaria transmission and support the identification of the potential reservoirs of the disease in the Atlantic Forest. Blood samples of 154 monkeys from three areas of the Atlantic Forest were used to identify IgG antibodies against peptides of the repeat region of the major pre-erythrocytic antigen, the circumsporozoite protein (CSP), of Plasmodium vivax (PvCSP), Plasmodium brasilianum/Plasmodium malariae (Pb/PmCSP), and Plasmodium falciparum (PfCSP) by ELISA. Antibodies against erythrocytic recombinant antigens of P. vivax, Apical membrane antigen 1 (PvAMA-1), Erythrocyte binding protein 2 (PvEBP-2) and domain II of Duffy binding protein (PvDBPII) were also evaluated. Parameters, such as age, sex, PCR positivity, and captivity, potentially associated with humoral immune response were analyzed. Eighty-five percent of NP had antibodies against at least one CSP peptide, and 76% against at least one P. vivax erythrocytic antigen. A high percentage of adults compared to non-adults were seropositive and showed increased antibody levels. Neotropical primates with PCR positive for P. simium had a significantly higher frequency of positivity rate for immune response against PvEBP-2, PvDBPII and also higher antibody levels against PvDBPII, compared to PCR negative NPs for this species. Monkeys with PCR positive for P. brasilianum/P. malariae showed higher frequency of seropositivity and antibody levels against Pb/PmCSP. Levels of antibodies against Pb/PmCSP, PvEBP-2 and PvDBPII were higher in free-living than in captive monkeys from the same area. All Platyrrhine families showed antibodies against CSP peptides, however not all showed IgG against erythrocytic antigens. These findings showed a high prevalence of naturally acquired antibodies against CSP repeats in all studied areas, suggesting an intense exposure to infected-mosquitoes bites of NP from all families. However, mainly monkeys of Atelidae family showed antibodies against P. vivax erythrocytic antigens, suggesting blood infection, which might serve as potential reservoirs of malaria in the Atlantic Forest.
Asunto(s)
Malaria , Parásitos , Plasmodium , Animales , Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios , Antígenos de Protozoos , Brasil , Eritrocitos , Bosques , Inmunidad Humoral , Malaria/veterinaria , Plasmodium vivax , Primates , Proteínas ProtozoariasRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The influence of Plasmodium spp. infection in the health of Southern brown howler monkey, Alouatta guariba clamitans, the main reservoir of malaria in the Atlantic Forest, is still unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the positivity rate of Plasmodium infection in free-living howler monkeys in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Joinville/SC and to associate the infection with clinical, morphometrical, haematological and biochemical alterations. METHODS: Molecular diagnosis of Plasmodium infection in the captured monkeys was performed by Nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (18S rRNA and coxI). Haematological and biochemical parameters were compared among infected and uninfected monkeys; clinical and morphometrical parameters were also compared. FINDINGS: The positivity rate of Plasmodium infection was 70% among forty captured animals, the highest reported for neotropical primates. None statistical differences were detected in the clinical parameters, and morphometric measures comparing infected and uninfected groups. The main significant alteration was the higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in infected compared to uninfected monkeys. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, Plasmodium infection in howler monkeys may causes haematological/biochemical alterations which might suggest hepatic impairment. Moreover, infection must be monitored for the eco-epidemiological surveillance of malaria in the Atlantic Forest and during primate conservation program that involves the animal movement, such as translocations.
Asunto(s)
Alouatta/parasitología , Reservorios de Enfermedades/parasitología , Malaria/veterinaria , Enfermedades de los Monos/parasitología , Alouatta/sangre , Animales , Animales Salvajes , Brasil/epidemiología , Femenino , Malaria/sangre , Malaria/epidemiología , Masculino , Enfermedades de los Monos/sangre , Enfermedades de los Monos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Non-human primates (NHPs) are susceptible to dogs' attacks, events that may cause muscle damage along with stress, and could be in some extent compatible with capture myopathy, a syndrome that results in myoglobinuria and renal damage. METHODS: We aimed to evaluate by histopathology pre-existing lesions and subsequent sequelae related to dogs' attacks, acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and myoglobinuria, as well as the usefulness of Pearls Stain and IHC to diagnose it. Histopathology was performed in available organs, and sections of kidney submitted to Prussian blue stain and myoglobin immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: During January 2014-June 2016, 16/145 (11%) of NHPs received by Adolfo Lutz Institute, Brazil were reported as attacked by dogs. A high frequency of young and debilitated animals was found. Myoglobinuria was observed in more than half animals (9/16; 56.2%), from which (5/9; 55.5%) presented ATN. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney lesions are plausible findings in NHPs attacked by dogs.
Asunto(s)
Alouatta , Mordeduras y Picaduras/veterinaria , Callithrix , Necrosis Tubular Aguda/veterinaria , Enfermedades de los Monos/patología , Mioglobinuria/veterinaria , Factores de Edad , Animales , Mordeduras y Picaduras/patología , Mordeduras y Picaduras/fisiopatología , Brasil , Perros , Femenino , Riñón/patología , Necrosis Tubular Aguda/diagnóstico , Necrosis Tubular Aguda/patología , Masculino , Enfermedades de los Monos/diagnóstico , Mioglobinuria/diagnóstico , Mioglobinuria/patología , Factores SexualesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Physiological values reflect the health condition and responses of individuals to handling in captivity. The aim of this study was to establish hematological and serum biochemistry parameters of clinically healthy animals of the Alouatta guariba clamitans subspecies. METHODS: We collected blood samples from adult males and females kept at the Center for Biological Research of Indaial after chemical containment with 3.9 mg/kg of tiletamine hydrochloride and zolazepam. RESULTS: Significant differences between males and females were found in the levels of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, lymphocytes, neutrophils, platelets, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest the existence of sexual dimorphism in some physiological parameters of A guariba clamitans. The parameters reported herein can be used as reference values for other populations kept under similar conditions.
Asunto(s)
Alouatta/sangre , Análisis Químico de la Sangre/veterinaria , Pruebas Hematológicas/veterinaria , Animales , Animales de Laboratorio , Brasil , Femenino , Masculino , Valores de ReferenciaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Hypervirulent strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae genotype K1 isolates have recently emerged, causing severe pyogenic liver abscess complicated by devastating metastatic infections in humans. METHODS: We describe a short outbreak of the non-human primate (NHP) research center, associated with a hypervirulent K. pneumoniae. The genetic similarity of the strains was evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) techniques, and virulence encoding genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The isolates were phenotypically like strains causing community-acquired invasive liver abscess syndrome in humans. All strains exhibited identical PFGE patterns and were found to belong to ST23 and presented a hypermucovisity phenotype and possessed magA and rmpA gene. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report of NHPs caused by K. pneumoniae displaying a hypermucoviscosity phenotype and belonging to capsular serotypes K1 and ST23.
Asunto(s)
Alouatta , Brotes de Enfermedades/veterinaria , Infecciones por Klebsiella/veterinaria , Klebsiella pneumoniae/aislamiento & purificación , Enfermedades de los Monos/epidemiología , Animales , Brasil/epidemiología , Electroforesis en Gel de Campo Pulsado/veterinaria , Infecciones por Klebsiella/diagnóstico , Infecciones por Klebsiella/epidemiología , Infecciones por Klebsiella/microbiología , Klebsiella pneumoniae/clasificación , Klebsiella pneumoniae/genética , Masculino , Enfermedades de los Monos/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de los Monos/microbiología , Tipificación de Secuencias Multilocus/veterinaria , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/veterinariaRESUMEN
Plasmodium simium is a parasite from New World monkeys that is most closely related to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax; it also naturally infects humans. The blood-stage infection of P. vivax depends on Duffy binding protein II (PvDBPII) and its cognate receptor on erythrocytes, the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (hDARC), but there is no information on the P. simium erythrocytic invasion pathway. The genes encoding P. simium DBP (PsDBPII) and simian DARC (sDARC) were sequenced from Southern brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) naturally infected with P. simium because P. simium may also depend on the DBPII/DARC interaction. The sequences of DBP binding domains from P. vivax and P. simium were highly similar. However, the genetic variability of PsDBPII was lower than that of PvDBPII. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that these genes were strictly related and clustered in the same clade of the evolutionary tree. DARC from A. clamitans was also sequenced and contained three new non-synonymous substitutions. None of these substitutions were located in the N-terminal domain of DARC, which interacts directly with DBPII. The interaction between sDARC and PvDBPII was evaluated using a cytoadherence assay of COS7 cells expressing PvDBPII on their surfaces. Inhibitory binding assays in vitro demonstrated that antibodies from monkey sera blocked the interaction between COS-7 cells expressing PvDBPII and hDARC-positive erythrocytes. Taken together, phylogenetic analyses reinforced the hypothesis that the host switch from humans to monkeys may have occurred very recently in evolution, which sheds light on the evolutionary history of new world plasmodia. Further invasion studies would confirm whether P. simium depends on DBP/DARC to trigger internalization into red blood cells.
Asunto(s)
Sistema del Grupo Sanguíneo Duffy/genética , Eritrocitos/parasitología , Plasmodium vivax/genética , Plasmodium/genética , Alouatta , Animales , Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios/inmunología , Células COS , Chlorocebus aethiops , Sistema del Grupo Sanguíneo Duffy/inmunología , Eritrocitos/inmunología , Evolución Molecular , Variación Genética , Haplotipos , Humanos , Filogenia , Plasmodium/inmunología , Plasmodium vivax/inmunología , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple , Conformación Proteica , Proteínas Protozoarias/genética , Receptores de Superficie Celular/genética , Receptores de Superficie Celular/inmunología , Análisis de Secuencia de ADNRESUMEN
Blood infection by the simian parasite, Plasmodium simium, was identified in captive (n = 45, 4.4%) and in wild Alouatta clamitans monkeys (n = 20, 35%) from the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. A single malaria infection was symptomatic and the monkey presented clinical and haematological alterations. A high frequency of Plasmodium vivax-specific antibodies was detected among these monkeys, with 87% of the monkeys testing positive against P. vivax antigens. These findings highlight the possibility of malaria as a zoonosis in the remaining Atlantic Forest and its impact on the epidemiology of the disease.