Abstract
Previous studies have reported filarial parasites of the genus Dipetalonema and Mansonella from French Guiana monkeys, based on morphological taxonomy. In this study, we screened blood samples from nine howler monkeys (Alouatta macconnelli) for the presence of filaria and Wolbachia DNA. The infection rates were 88.9% for filaria and 55.6% for wolbachiae. The molecular characterization, based on the 18S gene of filariids, revealed that A. macconnelli are infected with at least three species (Mansonella sp., Brugia sp. and an unidentified Onchocercidae species.). Since the 18S and cox1 generic primers are not very effective at resolving co-infections, we developed ITS genus-specific PCRs for Mansonella and Brugia genus. The results revealed coinfections in 75% of positives. The presence of Mansonella sp. and Brugia sp. was also confirmed by the 16S phylogenetic analysis of their associated Wolbachia. Mansonella sp., which close to the species from the subgenus Tetrapetalonema encountered in New World Monkeys, while Brugia sp. was identical to the strain circulating in French Guiana dogs. We propose a novel ITS1 Brugia genus-specific qPCR. We applied it to screen for Brugia infection in howler monkeys and 66.7% were found to be positive. Our finding highlights the need for further studies to clarify the species diversity of neotropics monkeys by combining molecular and morphological features. The novel Brugia genus-specific qPCR assays could be an effective tool for the surveillance and characterization of this potential zoonosis.
Highlights
Filariasis unites diseases are caused by arthropod-borne filariids and nematodes belonging to the Onchocercidae family
Blast analysis showed that the cox1 the cox1 sequence of howler monkeys in our study had an identity of 96.06% with Alouatta seniculus sequence of howler monkeys in our study had an identity of 96.06% with Alouatta seniculus (HQ644333), 95.88%95.88%
Our findings indicate that Brugia sp. detected from howler monkeys is the same as that recently detected in domestic dogs [25]
Summary
Filariasis unites diseases are caused by arthropod-borne filariids and nematodes belonging to the Onchocercidae family. Several species can be encountered in human and animals with some zoonotic aspects. The adult filariids are long, string-like, white-to-cream-colored worms [1]. They appear to be capable of living inside various tissues and cavities outside the gastrointestinal tract. Species having a predilection for subcutaneous tissues are less or completely avirulent in comparison to those found in cavities, such as Dipetalonema species (D. gracile, D. graciliformis, D. caudispina, D. robini and D. freitasi, D. vanhoofi), Macacanema formosana where they induce serious disease manifestations such as pleuritis, fibrinopurulent peritonitis and fibrinous adhesion, resulting in the entrapment of worms [3,4]. Species found in the circulatory system (e.g., Dirofilaria immitis and D. pongoi, Edesonfilaria malayensis), as well as those present in Pathogens 2020, 9, 626; doi:10.3390/pathogens9080626 www.mdpi.com/journal/pathogens
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