Presence and potential distribution of malaria‑infected New World primates of Costa Rica
Background: In South and Central America, Plasmodium malariae/Plasmodium brasilianum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium simium, and Plasmodium falciparum has been reported in New World primates (NWP). Specifically in Costa Rica, the presence of monkeys positive to P. malariae/P brasilianum has been ide...
Autores Principales: | Dolz, Gaby, Chaves, Andrea, Ibarra-Cerdeña, Carlos N., Núñez, Genuar, Ortiz-Malavasi, Edgar, BERNAL VALLE, SOFÍA, Gutierrez-Espeleta, Gustavo A. |
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Formato: | Artículo |
Idioma: | Inglés |
Publicado: |
Malaria Journal
2022
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: |
http://hdl.handle.net/11056/22828 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-04036-y |
Sumario: |
Background: In South and Central America, Plasmodium malariae/Plasmodium brasilianum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium
simium, and Plasmodium falciparum has been reported in New World primates (NWP). Specifically in Costa
Rica, the presence of monkeys positive to P. malariae/P brasilianum has been identified in both captivity and in the
wild. The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of P. brasilianum, P. falciparum, and P. vivax, and the
potential distribution of these parasites-infecting NWP from Costa Rica.
Methods: The locations with PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) positive results and bioclimatic predictors were used
to construct ecological niche models based on a modelling environment that uses the Maxent algorithm, named
kuenm, capable to manage diverse settings to better estimate the potential distributions and uncertainty indices of
the potential distribution.
Results: PCR analysis for the Plasmodium presence was conducted in 384 samples of four primates (Howler monkey
[n = 130], White-face monkey [n = 132], Squirrel monkey [n = 50], and red spider monkey [n = 72]), from across Costa
Rica. Three Plasmodium species were detected in all primate species (P. falciparum, P. malariae/P. brasilianum, and P.
vivax). Overall, the infection prevalence was 8.9%, but each Plasmodium species ranged 2.1–3.4%. The niche model
approach showed that the Pacific and the Atlantic coastal regions of Costa Rica presented suitable climatic conditions
for parasite infections. However, the central pacific coast has a more trustable prediction for malaria in primates.
Conclusions: The results indicate that the regions with higher suitability for Plasmodium transmission in NWP coincide
with regions where most human cases have been reported. These regions were also previously identified as areas
with high suitability for vector species, suggesting that enzootic and epizootic cycles occur. |
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