Molecular Screening of Plasmodium spp. in Free-Living Ring-Tailed Coatis (Nasua nasua) and Nine-Banded Armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the Peruvian Amazon
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Identifying the diversity of wildlife hosts for malaria parasites in wildlife is crucial for understanding transmission dynamics in endemic regions where humans, vectors, and wildlife heavily overlap. We examined the presence of Plasmodium parasites in free-ranging ring-tailed coatis (Nasua nasua, n = 44) and nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus, n = 66) from an Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon. Nested PCR targeting the mitochondrial cytb gene detected Plasmodium spp. DNA in two coatis (4.7%). Sequencing revealed one lineage identical to Plasmodium vivax/P. simium and another to P. malariae/P. brasilianum. A subset of samples was reanalyzed using cox3-based PCR and sequencing in an independent laboratory, confirming P. malariae/P. brasilianum in one coati. No infections were observed in armadillos. These results indicate that coatis in the wild may host diverse Plasmodiidae parasites and that coatis may even carry Plasmodium spp., likely as incidental hosts. Expanding surveillance to additional non-primate mammals will help clarify their role in sylvatic malaria ecology and evaluate potential zoonotic risks.
Source: Animals
DOI: 10.3390/ani15162413
Language: English
Topic: Malaria Research and Control
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
Awards: G1130158540, G1342153270, G1534778877, G1959088872, G211810987, G2190697111, G2196684032, Diagnosis and surveillance of vectorborne viruses and hemoparasites across the humanwildlife interface in the Amazon Basin, G2920184676, G3937869356, G3983844402, G4141894813, G4270069740, G4693830507, G4869637968, G5296951522, G5589134819, G5838554463, G6209121566, G6594351434, G6649836882, G6703688341, G71221569, Emerge: Emerging Diseases Epidemiology Research Training, G8357162050, G8959473747
OpenAlex ID: W4413286390