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Environmental changes may expose primates to new pathogens. We investigated two zoonotic protozoa, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum, to which free-living primates may be exposed in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. We evaluated risk factors associated with species, sex, age group, and biome in howler monkeys and assessed whether eight landscape metrics of forest fragments influence the monkeys' exposure to the pathogens. To do this, we tested serum from 96 howler monkeys (61 Alouatta caraya and 35 Alouatta guariba clamitans) by using an indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) for T. cruzi and an indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for L. infantum. In the IHA for T. cruzi, 51% (49/96) were seropositive, with titers from 1:16 to 1:256. We found that A. caraya in the Pampa biome is more susceptible to exposure to T. cruzi than A. g. clamitans in the Atlantic Forest biome, but none of the landscape metrics, sex, or age were significantly related to exposure. No samples were positive for L. infantum. This may suggest that the conditions of the Pampa biome, where A. caraya occurs, are more conducive to the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi vectors, exposing the howler monkeys to infection. However, further serological tests are needed confirm our results. We hope our findings encourage future studies focused on identifying and isolating T. cruzi in primates and understanding the eco-epidemiological role that wildlife plays in transmitting and maintaining protozoa in the wild environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environments in which neotropical primates live have been undergoing an intense fragmentation process, constituting a major threat to the species' survival and causing resource scarcity, social isolation, and difficulty in dispersal, leaving populations increasingly vulnerable. Moreover, the proximity of wild environments to anthropized landscapes can change the dynamics of pathogens and the parasite‐host‐environment relationship, creating conditions that favor exposure to different pathogens. To investigate the previous exposure of free‐living primates in Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), southern Brazil, to the bacterial agents Leptospira spp. and Brucella abortus, we investigated agglutinating antibodies against 23 serovars of Leptospira spp. using the microscopic agglutination test and B. abortus acidified antigen test in primate serum samples; 101 samples from primates captured between 2002 and 2016 in different forest fragments were used: 63 Alouatta caraya, 36 Alouatta guariba clamitans, and 02 Sapajus nigritus cucullatus. In addition, the forest remnants where the primates were sampled were characterized in a multiscale approach in radii ranging from 200 to 1400 m to investigate the potential relationship of previous exposure to the agent with the elements that make up the landscape structure. The serological investigation indicated the presence of antibodies for at least one of the 23 serovars of Leptospira spp. in 36.6% (37/101) of the samples analyzed, with titers ranging from 100 to 1600. The most observed serovars were Panama (17.8%), Ballum (5.9%), Butembo (5.9%), Canicola (5.9%), Hardjo (4.9%), and Tarassovi (3.9%); no samples were seropositive for Brucella abortus. Decreased forest cover and edge density were the landscape factors that had a significant relationship with Leptospira spp. exposure, indicating that habitat fragmentation may influence contact with the pathogen. The data generated in this study demonstrate the importance of understanding how changes in landscape structure affect exposure to pathogenic microorganisms of zoonotic relevance. Hence, improving epidemiological research and understanding primates' ecological role in these settings can help improve environmental surveillance and conservation strategies for primate populations in different landscapes. Highlights: Free‐living primates in Rio Grande do Sul showed agglutinating antibodies to different Leptospira spp. serovars in the microscopic agglutination testDecreased forest cover in the landscape within a 200 m radius of the forest fragment was associated with primate exposure to Leptospira spp.Increased edge density in the landscape within a 1400 m radius of the forest fragment was associated with lower primate exposure to Leptospira spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Habitat fragmentation is the main threat to primate survival in the world. Additionally, changes in the environments in which they live can also contribute to exposure to pathogens. To investigate some pathogens that free-living primates may be exposed to in Rio Grande do Sul State (RS; southern Brazil) and characterize the forest remnants in which they live, we investigated anti-Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Sarcocystis spp. antibodies in the serum of the animals. Methods: We analyzed 105 serum samples from 63 black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya), 39 southern brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans), and 03 capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus cucullatus), which were captured in forest fragments of RS. Indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) were used to detect antibodies to the agents. We then characterized the landscapes in a multiscale approach in radii from 200 to 1400 m to investigate the relationship of the presence of the agents with landscape elements. Results: In the IFAT-IgG, 13.3% (14/105) of the samples were seropositive for N. caninum, 4.8% (5/105) for T. gondii, and 5.7% (6/105) for Sarcocystis spp. In the IHA-IgM/IgG, 24.8% (26/105) were seropositive for T. gondii. The metrics that best explained exposure to agents were edge and patch density, forest cover, urban cover, and average Euclidean distance to the nearest patch. Conclusions: This study indicated that the primates were exposed to the agents studied, demonstrating that some landscape features are associated with exposures to the investigated pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Bartonella comprises emerging bacteria that affect humans and other mammals worldwide. Felids represent an important reservoir for several Bartonella species. Domestic cats are the main reservoir of Bartonella henselae, the agent of cat scratch disease (CSD). It can be transmitted directly by scratches and bites from infected cats and via cat fleas. This study aims to investigate the circulation of Bartonella spp. in free-ranging Neotropical wild felids from Southern Brazil using serological and molecular methods. In this study, 53 live-trapped free-ranging wild felids were sampled, 39 Leopardus geoffroyi and 14 Leopardus wiedii, from five municipalities in the Rio Grande, do Sul state, southern Brazil. All captured animals were clinically healthy. Two blood samples of L. geoffroyi were positive, by PCR, for the presence of B. henselae DNA. Conversely, none of L. wiedii blood samples were positive when tested using PCR. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) showed that 28% of serum samples of wild felids were reactive (seropositive) for B. henselae by immunofluorescence, with titers ranging from 64 to 256. The results presented here provide the first evidence of a Bartonella-enzootic cycle involving L. geoffroyi and L. wiedii, which may account for the spillover of the emerging zoonotic pathogen B. henselae for the indigenous fauna in Southern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]