Cytotaxonomy of Simulium cauchense Floch & Abonnenc and Simulium quadrifidum Lutz (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Brazilian Amazonia

Simulium cauchense Floch & Abonnenc and Simulium quadrifidum Lutz are widely distributed in the Amazon region and are morphologically similar at the larval and pupal stages. Chromosomally, these species are readily distinguished by the position of the nucleolar organizer, which is in the short arm of chromosome I in S. cauchense and in the long arm of chromosomes III in S. quadrifidum. They also differ by three fixed inversions. Sex chromosomes are undifferentiated in both species. Chromosomal resolution of the two species allowed us to evaluate four structural features previously used as diagnostic aids at the larval stage. Characters that distinguish larvae of the two species are the number of branches and branching patterns of the dorsal abdominal setae and the dark band on each primary fan. Branching patterns of the gill histoblasts were often diagnostic, with S. quadrifidum exhibiting more proximal branching and S. cauchense more distal branching. Sites where both species occurred sometimes had larvae with one petiole branching proximally and the other distally; in these cases examination of the chromosomes permitted assignment of the specimen to species. Pigmentation patterns of larvae, on the other hand, are highly variable. Color typically is sex linked in both species

Outstanding insecurities concerning the use of an Ov16-based ELISA in the Amazonia onchocerciasis focus

In a recent issue of Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, published in Rio de Janeiro in February 2014 (109: 87-92), Adami et al. have published a survey reporting Mansonella parasite prevalence in the Amazon Region. This report makes a useful contribution to the existing knowledge of filarial parasite distribution within the Amazon area, parasite prevalence rates in relation to age and occupation and provides observations on the possible clinical impact of Mansonella ozzardi. Their publication also provides an account of what appears to be a novel ELISA that has recently been used in the Simuliidae and Onchocerciasis Laboratory of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We are concerned that the publication of this ELISA may have created an excessively positive impression of the effectiveness of the onchocerciasis recrudescence serological surveillance tools that are presently available for use in the Amazonia onchocerciasis focus. In this letter we have, thus, sought to highlight some of the limitations of this ELISA and suggest how continuing insecurities concerning the detection of antibodies to Onchocerca volvulus within the Amazonia onchocerciasis focus might be minimised.Financial support: FIOCRUZ, FAPEAM, CNPq *All papers undertaken by the LSO resulting from either research, collections and reference services are done with total independence and without conflict of interest with relation to their partners or supporters (Brazilian Health Ministry, OEPA) among others.S

Measuring Mosquito Diversity Patterns in an Amazonian Terra Firme Rain Forest

Submitted by Patricia Stilpen ([email protected]) on 2011-04-06T13:37:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Measuring Mosquito DiversityPatterns in an Amazonian Terra Firme Rain Forest.pdf: 211511 bytes, checksum: c976916c7fa6784d1800a2e4c431cbf9 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2011-04-06T13:37:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Measuring Mosquito DiversityPatterns in an Amazonian Terra Firme Rain Forest.pdf: 211511 bytes, checksum: c976916c7fa6784d1800a2e4c431cbf9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilWe reanalyzed a dataset consisting of 10,700 crepuscular and night-biting female mosquitoes (Culicidae) collected over 12 mo in the canopy and understorey of primary Amazonian rain forest.Weinvestigate whether vertical habitat stratiÞcation and rainfall modiÞed major ecological parameters of this mosquito ensemble, combining descriptive and hypothesis-testing statistics with species richness and diversity metrics in the analyses. A total of 31 species was recorded. Contrary to expectations, the host-seeking mosquito fauna was less diverse in the forest canopy than in the understorey. In particular, species diversity and evenness were higher in understorey samples, whereas species richness estimates were similar in both habitats. Only two out of 12 species tested for vertical stratiÞcation were clearly acrodendrophilic, and Þve preferred understorey habitats. The mosquito fauna was more diverse in the rainy than in the dry season. We propose the hypothesis that female mosquito density and host defensive behavior may promote host seeking in nonpreferred habitats by acrodendrophilic mosquito species. These results may be particularly relevant for understanding the dynamics of Plasmodium malariae/brasilianum and arboviral infections in Amazonian forested landscapes

Nested PCR to detect and distinguish the sympatric filarial species Onchocerca volvulus , Mansonella ozzardi and Mansonella perstans in the Amazon Region

We present filaria-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is based on amplification of first internal transcribed spacer rDNA to distinguish three parasitic filarial species ( Onchocerca volvulus , Mansonella ozzardi and Mansonella perstans ) that can be found in the Amazon Region. Nested PCR-based identifications yielded the same results as those utilizing morphological characters. Nested PCR is highly sensitive and specific and it detects low-level infections in both humans and vectors. No cross-amplifications were observed with various other blood parasites and no false-positive results were obtained with the nested PCR. The method works efficiently with whole-blood, blood-spot and skin biopsy samples. Our method may thus be suitable for assessing the efficacy of filaria control programmes in Amazonia by recording parasite infections in both the human host and the vector. By specifically differentiating the major sympatric species of filaria, this technique could also enhance epidemiological research in the region

The Impact of the Extreme Amazonian Flood Season on the Incidence of Viral Gastroenteritis Cases

During the Amazonian flood season in 2012, the Negro River reached its highest level in 110 years, submerging residential and commercial areas which appeared associated with an elevation in the observed gastroenteritis cases in the city of Manaus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological water quality of the Negro River basin during this extreme flood to investigate this apparent association between the illness cases and the population exposed to the contaminated waters. Forty water samples were collected and analysed for classic and emerging enteric viruses. Human adenoviruses, group A rotaviruses and genogroup II noroviruses were detected in 100, 77.5 and 27.5% of the samples, respectively, in concentrations of 103?106 GC/L. All samples were compliant with local bacteriological standards. HAdV2 and 41 and RVA G2, P[6], and P[8] were characterised. Astroviruses, sapoviruses, genogroup IV noroviruses, klasseviruses, bocaviruses and aichiviruses were not detected. Statistical analyses showed correlations between river stage level and reported gastroenteritis cases and, also, significant differences between virus concentrations during this extreme event when compared with normal dry seasons and previous flood seasons of the Negro River. These findings suggest an association between the extreme flood experienced and gastrointestinal cases in the affected areas providing circumstantial evidence of causality between the elevations in enteric viruses in surface waters and reported illness.Peer reviewe

Mansonella ozzardi mitogenome and pseudogene characterisation provides new perspectives on filarial parasite systematics and CO-1 barcoding

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2019-02-10T19:44:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 anaC_paulovicente_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 3212561 bytes, checksum: fca129c97dce54b8af3939fae4a1876c (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2019-02-10T19:57:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 anaC_paulovicente_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 3212561 bytes, checksum: fca129c97dce54b8af3939fae4a1876c (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-02-10T19:57:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 anaC_paulovicente_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 3212561 bytes, checksum: fca129c97dce54b8af3939fae4a1876c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Microrganismos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / University of La Frontera. Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus. Temuco, Chile.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Entomologia. Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia da Interação Patógeno Hospedeiro. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Microrganismos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Despite the broad distribution of M. ozzardi in Latin America and the Caribbean, there is still very little DNA sequence data available to study this neglected parasite's epidemiology. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences, especially the cytochrome oxidase (CO1) gene's barcoding region, have been targeted successfully for filarial diagnostics and for epidemiological, ecological and evolutionary studies. MtDNA-based studies can, however, be compromised by unrecognised mitochondrial pseudogenes, such as Numts. Here, we have used shot-gun Illumina-HiSeq sequencing to recover the first complete Mansonella genus mitogenome and to identify several mitochondrial-origin pseudogenes. Mitogenome phylogenetic analysis placed M. ozzardi in the Onchocercidae "ONC5" clade and suggested that Mansonella parasites are more closely related to Wuchereria and Brugia genera parasites than they are to Loa genus parasites. DNA sequence alignments, BLAST searches and conceptual translations have been used to compliment phylogenetic analysis showing that M. ozzardi from the Amazon and Caribbean regions are near-identical and that previously reported Peruvian M. ozzardi CO1 reference sequences are probably of pseudogene origin. In addition to adding a much-needed resource to the Mansonella genus's molecular tool-kit and providing evidence that some M. ozzardi CO1 sequence deposits are pseudogenes, our results suggest that all Neotropical M. ozzardi parasites are closely related

Molecular Verification of New World Mansonella perstans Parasitemias

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2017-11-28T15:44:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 anacarolina2_vicente_etal_IOC_2017.pdf: 421617 bytes, checksum: 3a4c33a2062c4efcf8e8b998fcf730f7 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2017-11-28T15:54:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 anacarolina2_vicente_etal_IOC_2017.pdf: 421617 bytes, checksum: 3a4c33a2062c4efcf8e8b998fcf730f7 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-28T15:54:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 anacarolina2_vicente_etal_IOC_2017.pdf: 421617 bytes, checksum: 3a4c33a2062c4efcf8e8b998fcf730f7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Rondônia. Laboratório de Entomologia. Porto Velho, RO, Brasil. .Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.We obtained ribosomal and mitochondrial DNA sequences from residents of Amazonas state, Brazil, with Mansonella parasitemias. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences confirm that M. ozzardi and M. perstans parasites occur in sympatry and reveal the close relationship between M. perstans in Africa and Brazil, providing insights into the parasite’s New World origins

Molecular Verification of New World Mansonella perstans Parasitemias

We obtained ribosomal and mitochondrial DNA sequences from residents of Amazonas state, Brazil, with Mansonella parasitemias. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences confirm that M. ozzardi and M. perstans parasites occur in sympatry and reveal the close relationship between M. perstans in Africa and Brazil, providing insights into the parasite’s New World origins