Dados do Trabalho

Título

DETECTION OF FILARIAL NEMATODES (Spirurida, Filarioidea) IN Nasua nasua LIVING IN FORESTED FRAGMENTS OF BRAZILIAN MIDWEST

Introdução

Filarial nematodes are causative agents of important diseases in humans and domestic animals, besides infect wild vertebrates. Free-living coatis have been reported infected by many filarial species, as Mansonella spp., Brugia spp., Acanthocheilonema spp. and Dirofilaria spp. in forested fragments near urban areas.

Objetivo (s)

In this sense, the aim of the present study was to detect microfilariae in blood samples of two populations of coatis in an urban area and to evaluate which variable (sex, age and area) influences the prevalence of infection.

Material e Métodos

From April 2018 to April 2019 coatis were sampled in two forested fragments of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazilian Midwest: (i) the conservation unit Parque Estadual do Prosa and (ii) the residential area Vila da Base Aérea. Information about sex and age were recorded, and age was classified as adult (> 2 years old) and juvenile (< 2 years old). Blood samples were collected from femoral vein and deposited in tubes containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The samples were then submitted to Buffy Coat technique in order to detect microfilariae and quantify the microfilaremia. A chi-square test was applied in order to compare the prevalence according to sex, age and area.

Resultados e Conclusão

Overall, 164 samples from 101 coatis were collected and analyzed, corresponding to 86 samples of females and 78 of males, 114 samples of adults and 50 of juveniles, and 63 samples from PEP and 101 from VBA. The prevalence of infection of males and females did not differ significantly (p= 0.23), and the same was observed when we compared adults and juveniles (p= 0.57). On the other hand, when we compared the areas, the prevalence was significantly higher in VBA (90% - 91/101) than in PEP (73% - 46/63) (p = 0.004). Moreover, we observed that range of microfilariae in VBA samples (1-1782) was substantially higher than in PEP samples (1-69). Our results indicate that anthropized areas may contribute to higher prevalence of infection by filarial parasites and microfilaremia in coatis that live in urban forested fragments. Given the zoonotic aspect of some filarial species, the investigation of filariasis in wild mammals living near humans becomes of utmost importance.

Palavras-chave

Procyonidae, Blood parasites, Urban forested fragments, Microfilariae

Agradecimentos

Inova FIOCRUZ (process 31081634214-4298), FAPERJ