title: Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Infection in Small Wild Mammals.
abstract: Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis prevalent in Brazil and other Latin American countries. The etiological agents of PCM are the thermo-dimorphic fungi Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii. Taking into account that the natural habitat of Paracoccidioides spp. is still undefined, domestic and wild animals could be useful as indicators of Paracoccidioides spp. presence in endemic areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the infection of small wild mammals by P. brasiliensis in an endemic area for human PCM. Samples from 38 wild mammals from different species such as Akodon sp., Thaptomys nigrita, Euryoryzomys russatus, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Monodelphis sp., Sooretamys angouya, Abrawayaomys angouya, Abrawayaomys ruschii and Akodontinae sp. were evaluated by ELISA, immunodiffusion, histopathology, nested PCR and culture. The overall positivity to gp43 observed in the ELISA was 23.7%. Samples from heart and liver of one O. nigripes were PCR positive, and the animal was also seropositive to gp43 in ELISA. This study showed that wild animals living in endemic areas for PCM are infected with P. brasiliensis and can be valuable epidemiological markers of the fungus presence in the environment. This is the first evidence of PCM infection in Akodon sp., E. russatus, T. nigrita and O. nigripes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Campus Universitário, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica Raquel
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sbeghen
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thais Bastos
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Zanata
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Campus Universitário, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Macagnan
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kaue Cachuba
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: de Abreu
authors.affiliation: Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Monte Sinai, Mauá da Serra, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Willian Luiz
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: da Cunha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Campus Universitário, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Angelica Ehara
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Disciplina de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Zoilo Pires
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: de Camargo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Campus Universitário, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil. marioono@uel.br.
authors.forename: Mario Augusto
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006321:Heart / Q000382:microbiology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D048309:Monodelphis; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010229:Paracoccidioidomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D016205:Sigmodontinae
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D004271:DNA, Fungal
keywords: ELISA; Epidemiology; Paracoccidioidomycosis; Wild animals