Mosquitoes (Culicidae, Diptera) in avian malaria transmission area: identification of potential vector species

• Grant number: 17/23407-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: April 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Entomology and Malacology of Parasites and Vectors
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Karin Kirchgatter Hildebrand
• Grantee: Roseli França Simões
• Host Institution: Superintendência de Controle de Endemias (SUCEN). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Plasmodium sp. is a parasitic protozoan of cosmopolitan distribution that infects birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Currently, more than 80 species of Plasmodium are officially recognized in birds. The birds have a prominent place in the studies of this parasite, since they were widely used as experimental models in the human malaria studies. However, the taxonomy of these parasites is still quite controversial. The vast majority of studies are based solely on the morphology of the sexual and asexual stages of the parasite, with morphometric analysis and the presence or absence of hemozoin. Currently, the combination of microscopy with PCR and sequencing is essential for the correct identification of Plasmodium spp. In Brazil, a country of notable ornithological diversity, few studies of the incidence of hematozoa in birds were carried out. Our group has been working in the area of São Paulo Zoo (FPZSP) since 2012, detecting and identifying species of hemosporids in bird samples. We found a high positivity of Plasmodium spp. and Haemoproteus spp. in several species of captive and free-living birds. However, there is no description of the vector species of these parasites in this region. In Brazil, as in all areas of avian malaria transmission, there are few studies with mosquito populations. Recent descriptions of new vector species demonstrate how our knowledge in this field is incomplete, especially in tropical regions. Therefore, this work aims to verify the incidence of Plasmodium spp. in FPZSP culicidae mosquitoes, in order to identify potential vector species. Additionally, due to the difficulty of identification to species of some specimens using the taxonomic keys, we intend to use wing morphometry and molecular identification (DNA barcoding) of the mosquito species. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SIMOES, ROSELI FRANCA; BRUNO WILKE, ANDRE BARRETTO; FERNANDES CHAGAS, CAROLINA ROMEIRO; TIRONI DE MENEZES, REGIANE MARIA; SUESDEK, LINCOLN; MULTINI, LAURA CRISTINA; SILVA, FABIANA SANTOS; GRECH, MARTA GLADYS; MARRELLI, MAURO TOLEDO; KIRCHGATTER, KARIN. Wing Geometric Morphometrics as a Tool for the Identification ofCulexSubgenus Mosquitoes ofCulex(Diptera: Culicidae). INSECTS, v. 11, n. 9, SEP 2020. (17/23407-0, 12/51427-1)

GUIMARAES, LILIAN DE OLIVEIRA; SIMOES, ROSELI FRANCA; CHAGAS, CAROLINA ROMEIRO FERNANDES; DE MENEZES, REGIANE MARIA TIRONI; SILVA, FABIANA SANTOS; MONTEIRO, ELIANA FERREIRA; HOLCMAN, MARCIA MOREIRA; BAJAY, MIKLOS MAXIMILIANO; PINTER, ADRIANO; DE CAMARGO-NEVES, VERA LUCIA FONSECA; et al. Assessing Diversity, Plasmodium Infection and Blood Meal Sources in Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from a Brazilian Zoological Park with Avian Malaria Transmission. INSECTS, v. 12, n. 3, MAR 2021. (17/23407-0, 17/50345-5, 18/16232-1, 12/51427-1)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SIMÕES, Roseli França. Mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) in avian malaria transmission area: identification of potential vector species of Culex genus. 2021. Master's Dissertation - Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD) São Paulo.