title: Survey of Plasmodium in the golden-headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) living in urban Atlantic forest in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Communicating the presence of potential zoonotic pathogens such as Plasmodium spp. in wild animals is important for developing both animal and human health policies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The translocation of an exotic and invasive population of Leontopithecus chrysomelas (golden-headed lion tamarins) required the screening of these animals for specific pathogens. This studies objective was to investigate Plasmodium spp. infection in the L. chrysomelas, both to know its prevalence in these animals in the local area and to minimize the risk of pathogens being translocated to the destination site. To investigate Plasmodium spp. infection, blood samples from 268 animals were assessed for the presence of Plasmodium spp. by genus-specific PCR and stained thick and thin blood smears were examined by light microscopy. Data of human malaria infection in the studied region was also assembled from SINAN (Diseases Information System Notification-Ministry of Health of Brazil).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results from the PCR and microscopy were all negative and suggested that no L. chrysomelas was infected with Plasmodium spp. Analysis of SINAN data showed that malaria transmission is present among the human population in the studied region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to provide information on Plasmodium spp. infection in L. chrysomelas. Plasmodium spp. infection of this species is rare or absent though malaria parasites circulate in the region. In addition, there is minimal risk of translocating Plasmodium spp. infected animals to the destination site.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. elizabeth.aitken@unimelb.edu.au.|Department of Medicine, Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. elizabeth.aitken@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Helen
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pri-Matas para Conservação da Biodiversidade (Pri-Matas), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. buenomg@gmail.com.|Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (IDSM/MCTI), Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil. buenomg@gmail.com.|Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Programa Institucional Biodiversidade & Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. buenomg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marina Galvão
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. luana_ortolan@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dos Santos Ortolan
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. jmamosig@icb.usp.br.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alvaréz
authors.affiliation: Centro de Primatologia (CPRJ/INEA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. pissinatticprj@globo.com.
authors.forename: Alcides
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pissinatti
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pri-Matas para Conservação da Biodiversidade (Pri-Matas), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ceciliakierulff@gmail.com.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Centro Universitário Norte do Espírito Santo, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, São Mateus, Brazil. ceciliakierulff@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Cecília Martins
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kierulff
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens (LAPCOM), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. zecatao@usp.br.
authors.forename: José Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Catão-Dias
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil. sabrina.epiphanio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Epiphanio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D065928:Forests; D051039:Leontopithecus / Q000469:parasitology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000517:prevention & control*