Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil
Abstract Background Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus can have detrimental effects on individual birds and populations. Despite recent investigations into the distribution and richness of these parasites and their vertebrate hosts, little is known about their diptera...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMC
2016-11-01
|
Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-016-1865-y |
id |
doaj-98fa697597df4ff4bc5fca30d28a3822 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-98fa697597df4ff4bc5fca30d28a38222020-11-24T22:00:04ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052016-11-019111210.1186/s13071-016-1865-ySearching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in BrazilFrancisco C. Ferreira0Raquel A. Rodrigues1Yukita Sato2Magno A. Z. Borges3Érika M. Braga4Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisDepartamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisLaboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon UniversityLaboratório de Controle Biológico, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Universitário Professor Darcy RibeiroDepartamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisAbstract Background Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus can have detrimental effects on individual birds and populations. Despite recent investigations into the distribution and richness of these parasites and their vertebrate hosts, little is known about their dipteran vectors. The Neotropics has the highest diversity of mosquitoes in the world, but few studies have tried to identify vectors in this area, hampering the understanding of the ecology of avian malaria in the highly diverse Neotropical environments. Methods Shannon traps and active collection were used to capture 27,110 mosquitoes in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in southeastern Brazil, a highly endangered ecosystem. Results We screened 17,619 mosquito abdomens from 12 different species and several unidentified specimens of Culex, grouped into 1,913 pools, for the presence of haemosporidians. Two pools (out of 459) of the mosquito Mansonia titillans and one pool (out of 29) of Mansonia pseudotitillans were positive for Plasmodium parasites, with the detection of a new parasite lineage in the former species. Detected Plasmodium lineages were distributed in three different clades within the phylogenetic tree revealing that Mansonia mosquitoes are potential vectors of genetically distant parasites. Two pools of Culex spp. (out of 43) were positive for Plasmodium gallinaceum and closely related lineages. We found a higher abundance of these putative vectors in pasture areas, but they were also distributed in areas at intermediate and late successional stages. One pool of the mosquito Psorophora discrucians (out of 173) was positive for Haemoproteus. Conclusions The occurrence of different Plasmodium lineages in Mansonia mosquitoes indicates that this genus encompasses potential vectors of avian malaria parasites in Brazil, even though we did not find positive thoraces among the samples tested. Additional evidence is required to assign the role of Mansonia mosquitoes in avian malaria transmission and further studies will add information about evolutionary and ecological aspects of avian haemosporidia and untangle the diversity of their vectors in Brazil.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-016-1865-yPlasmodiumHaemoproteusHaemosporidiaVectorsCulicidaeMansonia |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Francisco C. Ferreira Raquel A. Rodrigues Yukita Sato Magno A. Z. Borges Érika M. Braga |
spellingShingle |
Francisco C. Ferreira Raquel A. Rodrigues Yukita Sato Magno A. Z. Borges Érika M. Braga Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil Parasites & Vectors Plasmodium Haemoproteus Haemosporidia Vectors Culicidae Mansonia |
author_facet |
Francisco C. Ferreira Raquel A. Rodrigues Yukita Sato Magno A. Z. Borges Érika M. Braga |
author_sort |
Francisco C. Ferreira |
title |
Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil |
title_short |
Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil |
title_full |
Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil |
title_fullStr |
Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil |
title_full_unstemmed |
Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil |
title_sort |
searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a seasonally dry tropical forest in brazil |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Parasites & Vectors |
issn |
1756-3305 |
publishDate |
2016-11-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus can have detrimental effects on individual birds and populations. Despite recent investigations into the distribution and richness of these parasites and their vertebrate hosts, little is known about their dipteran vectors. The Neotropics has the highest diversity of mosquitoes in the world, but few studies have tried to identify vectors in this area, hampering the understanding of the ecology of avian malaria in the highly diverse Neotropical environments. Methods Shannon traps and active collection were used to capture 27,110 mosquitoes in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in southeastern Brazil, a highly endangered ecosystem. Results We screened 17,619 mosquito abdomens from 12 different species and several unidentified specimens of Culex, grouped into 1,913 pools, for the presence of haemosporidians. Two pools (out of 459) of the mosquito Mansonia titillans and one pool (out of 29) of Mansonia pseudotitillans were positive for Plasmodium parasites, with the detection of a new parasite lineage in the former species. Detected Plasmodium lineages were distributed in three different clades within the phylogenetic tree revealing that Mansonia mosquitoes are potential vectors of genetically distant parasites. Two pools of Culex spp. (out of 43) were positive for Plasmodium gallinaceum and closely related lineages. We found a higher abundance of these putative vectors in pasture areas, but they were also distributed in areas at intermediate and late successional stages. One pool of the mosquito Psorophora discrucians (out of 173) was positive for Haemoproteus. Conclusions The occurrence of different Plasmodium lineages in Mansonia mosquitoes indicates that this genus encompasses potential vectors of avian malaria parasites in Brazil, even though we did not find positive thoraces among the samples tested. Additional evidence is required to assign the role of Mansonia mosquitoes in avian malaria transmission and further studies will add information about evolutionary and ecological aspects of avian haemosporidia and untangle the diversity of their vectors in Brazil. |
topic |
Plasmodium Haemoproteus Haemosporidia Vectors Culicidae Mansonia |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-016-1865-y |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT franciscocferreira searchingforputativeavianmalariavectorsinaseasonallydrytropicalforestinbrazil AT raquelarodrigues searchingforputativeavianmalariavectorsinaseasonallydrytropicalforestinbrazil AT yukitasato searchingforputativeavianmalariavectorsinaseasonallydrytropicalforestinbrazil AT magnoazborges searchingforputativeavianmalariavectorsinaseasonallydrytropicalforestinbrazil AT erikambraga searchingforputativeavianmalariavectorsinaseasonallydrytropicalforestinbrazil |
_version_ |
1725845509778702336 |