Loading…
Dirofilaria immitis and Onchocercidae spp. in wild felids from Brazil
Among the species described within the Onchocercidae family, Dirofilaria immitis is regarded as the most common worldwide, causing severe and often fatal conditions in dogs, cats, and occasionally humans. Dirofilaria spp. are vectored by mosquitoes, simulids, and culicoids, with their epidemiology d...
Saved in:
Published in: | Parasitology research (1987) 2024-04, Vol.123 (4), p.195-195, Article 195 |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites |
Online Access: | Get full text |
Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
Summary: | Among the species described within the Onchocercidae family,
Dirofilaria immitis
is regarded as the most common worldwide, causing severe and often fatal conditions in dogs, cats, and occasionally humans.
Dirofilaria
spp. are vectored by mosquitoes, simulids, and culicoids, with their epidemiology dependent on the geographical distribution of competent vectors. Eight species of
Dirofilaria
have been reported so far in Brazil, of which six parasitize non-human primates, deer, procyonids, and marsupials. Here, we investigated the occurrence of Onchocercidae in wild felids (i.e.,
Panthera onca
,
Puma concolor
,
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
,
Leopardus geoffroyi
,
Leopardus guttulus
,
Leopardus pardalis
,
Leopardus wiedii
,
Leopardus munoai
) from different locations in Brazil. Overall, 82 samples (
n
= 63 blood;
n
= 19 tissues) were molecularly screened for cytochrome
c
oxidase subunit-1 (
cox
1) gene. Four (i.e., 4.8%) wild felid samples were positive, and at BLAST analysis, the obtained sequences showed varying percentage of nucleotide identity with the genera
Brugia
(i.e., 87–88%),
Setaria
(i.e., 89%), and
D. immitis
(i.e., 94.4%). Phylogenetic analyses clustered sequences obtained into three distinct clades, one with
D. immitis
and the remaining two with other Onchocercidae spp. Data herein obtained highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity and biology of Onchocercidae in South America in order to assess the potential impact that these species may have for domestic and wild animals, as well as humans. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 0932-0113 1432-1955 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00436-024-08209-x |