Andrea Pereira da Costa

• PhD Professor and Researcher at State University of Maranhão, Veterinary Medicine course
• Researcher and Professor at State University of Maranhão

Trypanosoma and Leishmania infections affect wild and domestic animals and human populations. The growing process of deforestation and urbanization of Atlantic Rainforest areas has given rise to introduction of humans and domestic animals to the sylvatic cycles of Trypanosoma and Leishmania species. Serological, parasitological, and molecular surve...

Marcili, A., Sperança, M. Ap., Costa, A.P., Madeira, M. de F., Soares, H.S., Sanches, C.O.C.C., Acosta, I. da C.L., Girotto, A., Minervino, A.H.H., Horta, M.C., Shaw. J.J., Gennari, S.M. Phylogenetic relationships of Leishmania species based on trypanosomatid barcode (SSU rDNA) and gGAPDH genes: taxonomic revision of Leishmania (L.) infantum chagas...

In Crocodylidae family three trypanosomes species were described, T. grayi in African crocodilian and T. cecili and Trypanosoma sp. in Caimans species from Brazil. T. grayi was transmitted by tsetse flies and the vector of Brazilian caimans trypanosomes is unknown. We characterized first Brazilian trypanosome isolated in spectacled caiman (Caiman c...

To understand the spread of leishmaniasis in the state of São Paulo and the complexity of the parasite/vector/host relationship, studies on the ecological and epidemiological aspects of this disease are necessary. In the municipality of Bom Jesus dos Perdões, the sand fly fauna and presence of parasites of the genus Leishmania in these vectors are...

The aim of this study was to detect trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma vivax, in blood smears, DNA of T. vivax and anti-T. vivax antibodies in samples from buffalos reared in the lowlands of Maranhão, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 116 buffalos and 25 ectoparasite specimens. Blood smears were produced to diagnose forms compatible with T...

A presente coletânea intitulada REVISÕES DE LITERATURA EM CIÊNCIA ANIMAL: UMA COLETÂNEA, reúne revisões de literatura que abordam temas relevantes na área de concentração em Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Reprodução e Conservação Animal do Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal (PPGCA) da Universidade Estadual do Maranhão. Este volume compil...

During studies on fish parasites, two new species of Anacanthorus were found parasitizing serrasalmid fishes, Anacanthorus simpliciphallus sp. n. from the hybrid Piaractus mesopotamicus x Piaractus brachypomus and Anacanthorus brandtii sp. n. from Serrasalmus brandtii. Anacanthorus simpliciphallus sp. n. resembles Anacanthorus reginae in the morpho...

An 11-year-old male dog presenting exophthalmia and perforation of the cornea of the left eye was seen at the veterinary hospital of the State University of Maranhão. Upon physical examination, irregularly shaped granulomas of crumbly appearance were observed on the dog's tongue. The dog was sent for ocular enucleation surgery. The following tests...

Five new species of Cosmetocleithrum were described parasitizing the gill filaments of neotropical doradid fishes. Cosmetocleithrum undulatum n. sp., Cosmetocleithrum brachylecis n. sp. and Cosmetocleithrum ludovicense n. sp. are described from Platydoras brachylecis from a market-place of São Luís, State of Maranhão, Brazil. Cosmetocleithrum sacci...

Opossums are synanthropic marsupials able to interchange among wild, peri-urban and urban environments, playing an epidemiologically important role as hosts for emerging pathogens and ectoparasites of relevance in public health. The present study aimed to detect and molecularly characterize vector-borne agents in a population of common opossums (Di...

A case of infection with Dirofilaria immitis in a cat is reported here with clinical signs of apathy, anorexia, dyspnea, polypnea, slight dehydration and pale mucus membranes. The radiographic examination showed cardiomegaly, lobar arteries dilation of the cranial lobes and tortuosity, enlargement of the caudal lobar arteries. In the right lobe of...

Visceral Leishmaniasis is a serious public health problem and dogs are considered to be the main source of infection in urban areas. In Brazil, this disease is present in all regions, but with high concentration of cases in the Northeast, and the state of Maranhão is considered to be an endemic region. The aim of this study was to conduct an epidem...

The aging population in the developed world has implied increasing age diversity in the workforce of organizations. Consequently, mutual perceptions about one’s coworkers and age discrimination are becoming increasingly important. This study aims to explore how perceptions about older workers’ work (un)adaptability, work effectiveness, and workplac...

Chiropterans play an important role in the maintenance of the environmental balance, since they are pollinators, seed dispersers and predators. They contribute to transmission and spreading of microorganisms such as helminths, fungi, protozoa, bacteria and virus. The aim of the present study was to investigate natural filariid infection among bats...

The species of the genus Leishmania are protozoa that are widely distributed from Asia to the Americas, affecting humans and wild and domestic animals. Little is known about infection by Leishmania in bats in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of Leishmania in bats in Maranhão. Blood samples w...

Trypanosoma vivax é o protozoário causador da tripanossomose bovina, doença que afeta ruminantes em geral e que pode provocar quadros de anemia, queda reprodutiva, aborto, diminuição da produção leiteira e morte dos animais levando a grandes perdas econômicas. O presente estudo visa descrever as características clínicas e epidemiológicas, do vetor,...

A serological, molecular and histopathological study was carried out in order to investigate occurrences of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs slaughtered with and without inspection service. Serum samples were collected from 60 pigs to detect anti-T. gondii antibody by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFAT). Tongue, masseter and diaphragm fragments were also...

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent for Chagas disease, is widely distributed in the Americas. Its hosts are humans and wild and domestic mammals, and its vectors are triatomine insects. Studies have indicated that domestic dogs are sentinel animals in the epidemiology of Chagas disease in endemic regions, including states in the Legal Amazon...

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of exposure to Leishmania infection in stray dogs in an area of intense visceral leishmaniasis transmission in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Blood samples from 178 dogs were analyzed using serological and molecular assays: rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay...

Brazilian poultry production is growing, mainly due to the cost and benefit that chicken meat provides. The importance of free-range chickens and the susceptibility, to which they are exposed, makes it necessary to know about gastrointestinal parasites and the consequences that large infections can cause for them as such as weight loss. The present...

OBJECTIVE Trypanosoma cruzi comprises highly heterogeneus populations classified within six Discrete Typing Unit (DTU´s) named Tc-I to Tc-VI ans TcBat. Evolutionary history of T. cruzi has a very strong association with their mammal hosts and some phylogenetic and ecolobiologically studies suggest that ecotopes, hosts and vectors are factors that d...

OBJECTIVE: Visceral leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania infantum. In the state of São Paulo, this zoonosis is expanding to urban areas and the incidence of human disease is related to canine infection. Herein, we performed a serological and molecular diagnosis on 152 dogs (Canis familiaris) from the Grajau and Ilha do Bororé neighborhoods, in the...

The Brazilian state of Maranhão is located in a transition area of the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, where there is a rich fauna of vertebrates. This study aimed to update the list of the ticks occurring in Maranhão, through a compilation of literature records and examination of three tick collections, plus the addition of unpublished collections of t...

Background: Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis, is a neglected zoonosis that requires validation and standardization of satisfactory diagnostic methodologies. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cathepsin L-like protease as a target for making molecular diagnoses and as a phylog...

Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania infantum for which dogs are the main reservoir. In South America, presence of this disease is expanding along with increasing dispersion of its principal vector, the sand-fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. Feline leishmaniasis is an emerging disease in domestic cats, but epidemiological stud...

The aim of this study was to investigate exposure of Baixadeiro horses to Rickettsia spp. and to ticks infected by Rickettsia in the Baixada Maranhense (lowlands) micro-region, state of Maranhão. A total of 258 horses were tested for Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia amblyommatis and Rickettsia bellii using the immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Overa...

Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) theileri is a flagellated protozoan that infects ruminants and it displays high genetic diversity. In this study, we investigated the prevalence rates of this protozoan based on hemoculture and molecular diagnosis. The isolates of T. theileri thus obtained were characterized by molecular markers SSU rDNA and gGAPDH and mo...

Introduction: The National Park of Serra das Confusões (NPSC) is a protected area of natural landscape located in Southern Piauí, Brazil, and it is considered as one of the largest and most important protected areas in the Caatinga biome. Methods: The natural occurrences of trypanosomatids from hemocultures on small mammals and cultures from int...

Neste trabalho foi realizada uma avaliação sobre a presença de anticorpos anti-Leishmania infantum chagasi em cães domésticos das áreas urbanas e rurais da região do Pantanal brasileiro usando técnicas sorológicas. Um total de 429 cães foram amostrados em três áreas do bioma do Pantanal, incluindo os municípios de Poconé, Santo Antônio de Leverger...

Hundreds of trypanosome species have been described in all mammalian orders, on every continent, including with mixed infections. Trypanosomes circulate in the form of sylvatic enzootic infections transmitted by blood-sucking insects that are associated with the host mammals. Small wild mammals were caught in a fragment of Cerrado terrain on an isl...

This study was performed in Maranhão state, a transition area two Brazilian biomes, Amazon and Cerrado. During 2011–2013, 1,560 domestic dogs were sampled for collection of serum blood samples and ticks in eight counties (3 within the Amazon and 5 within the Cerrado). A total of 959 ticks were collected on 150 dogs (9.6%). Rhipicephalus sanguineus...

Results of univariate analysis (Fisher's exact test) for the association between independent variables with the serological results of domestic dogs, analyzed through four serologic profiles (four dependent variables) determined by the immunofluorescence assay: (i) canine seroreactivity to Rickettsia spp. (titer ≥64); (ii) canine seroreactivity to...

The present study was performed in a non-endemic area for spotted fever (SF) in Imperatriz microregion, state of Maranhão, Brazil. Blood samples and ectoparasites were collected from 300 dogs of the Imperatriz microregion. Canine serum samples were tested individually by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), using five Rickettsia isolates from B...

Amostras de sangue de 99 cães domiciliados foram coletadas no meio urbano (n = 33) e rural (n = 66) do município de Lábrea, estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Dentre as amostras rurais, 40 foram obtidas em comunidades ribeirinhas e 26 em comunidades indígenas, ambas ao longo do rio Purus. Durante a amostragem foi aplicado um questionário com informações s...

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease of great concern for public health because of its high incidence and lethality. Here, we performed a serologic study of domestic dogs in the municipality of Petrolina in northeastern Brazil to evaluate the possible risk factors associated with canine seropositivity for Leishmania infantum chagasi. Blood samp...

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), an inhabitant of the Brazilian savanna, is considered the largest canid of South America and is classified as a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, -Neospora can...

Environment influences the composition, distribution, and behavior of the vectors and mammalian hosts involved in the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), affecting the epidemiology of the disease. In Brazil, the urbanization process and canine cases of VL are indicators for local health authorities. This study aimed to investigate the occu...

Trypanosoma and Leishmania are obligate parasites that cause important diseases in human and domestic animals. Wild mammals are the natural reservoirs of these parasites, which are transmitted by hematophagous arthropods. The present study aimed to detect the natural occurrence of trypanosomatids through serological diagnosis, PCR of whole blood an...

A serological and molecular survey of Babesia vogeli, Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia spp. among dogs in the state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil Detecção sorológica e molecular de Babesia vogeli, Ehrlichia canis e Rickettsia spp. em cães do Estado do Maranhão, Nordeste do Brasil Abstract This study evaluated exposure and infection by tick-borne a...

Trypanosomes of anurans and fish are grouped into the Aquatic Clade which includes species isolated from fish, amphibians, turtles and platypus, usually transmitted by leeches and phlebotomine sand flies. Trypanosomes from Brazilian frogs are grouped within the Aquatic Clade with other anuran trypanosome species, where there seems to be coevolution...

O objetivo desse trabalho foi investigar a ocorrência de anticorpos anti-T. gondii, N. caninum e Leishmania sp. em lobos-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus) de vida livre na região nordeste do estado de São Paulo.

Objective: Survey of Leishmania infantum chagasi in domestic and wild mammals in urban area and a Biological Reserve in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Methods: Domestic and wild mammals were captured in Brazilian northeast Atlantic Rainforest, Rio Grande do Norte state. Serological and parasitological studies were conducted; Leishmania isolat...

The Lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is the largest Brazilian mammal and despite being distributed in various Brazilian biomes, it is seriously endangered in the Atlantic Rainforest. These hosts were never evaluated for the presence of Trypanosoma parasites. The Lowland tapirs were captured in the Brazilian southeastern Atlantic Rainforest, Espir...

Abstract In the order Chiroptera, more than 30 trypanosome species belonging to the subgenera Herpetosoma, Schizotrypanum, Megatrypanum and Trypanozoon have been described. The species T. cruzi, T. cruzi marinkellei and T. dionisii are the most common in bats and belong to the Schizotrypanum subgenus. Bats from two different biomes, Pantanal and Am...

This study evaluated for the first time, ectoparasite infestations on dogs from urban and rural areas of the continental land of the state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. In total, 622 dogs were examined for ectoparasite infestations. Overall, 392 (63.0%) were infested with ectoparasites, 154 (51.3%) of 300 urban dogs and 238 (73.9%) of 322 rural...

This study investigated infection by Ehrlichia spp. agents by PCR, immunofluorescence assay test (IFAT), and by Giemsa-stained blood smears in 108 dogs from a semiarid region of the state of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. Seventy-five (69.4%) of the 108 dogs were found to be seropositive to Ehrlichia canis, while only four dogs (3.7%) were positive...

RESUMO Objetivou-se determinar a ocorrência de Babesia canis vogeli em cães e no carrapato vetor de ambiente urbano e rural da microrregião de Imperatriz, mesorregião do Oeste Maranhense, verificando-se os possíveis fatores de risco associados à infecção por esse agente. Foram coletadas amostras de sangue e espécimes de carrapatos de 300 cães prove...

Kinosternon scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766), with its common name of jurará, is a quite variable species of turtles, and many different names have been applied to populations throughout its range. Currently, however, four subspecies are considered valid as K. scorpioides arises from southern Panama over most of northern South America and is found in E...