Molecular detection and characterization of filarioid nematodes in wild armadillos and anteaters from Central-Western Brazil.
10 affiliations
- 1Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal Campus, Via Prof. Access Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Rural Zone, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil.
- 2Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres - ICAS, Campo Grande, Brazil.
- 3Naples Zoo, Naples, Florida, USA.
- 4School of Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
- 5UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, 911 Av. Agropolis CP34394, Montpellier, France.
- 6Departamento de Biologia Animal, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
- 7Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano, Italy.
- 8Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University- UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-81, Brazil.
- 9One Health Institute and Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andrés Bello, República 440, Piso 1, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, 8370251, Chile.
- 10Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal Campus, Via Prof. Access Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Rural Zone, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil. [email protected].
Abstract
Armadillos and anteaters usually interact with a wide range of ectoparasites and associated pathogens. Combined with their unique physiological and ecological characteristics, these interactions make them potential hosts for a diverse range of vector-borne agents (VBA). Despite this, relatively few studies have investigated the occurrence of VBA in mammals of the superorder Xenarthra in Brazil. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and phylogenetic assessment of filarioid nematodes in wild armadillos and anteaters sampled in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central-Western Brazil. A total of 123 biological samples, comprising 105 blood and 18 spleen samples, were analyzed. The spleen samples were collected from five southern tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla) and 13 giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), whereas the blood samples were obtained from 42 six-banded armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus), 15 giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus), and 44 giant anteaters (M. tridactyla). Following DNA extraction and confirmation of DNA quality by PCR amplification of the mammalian gapdh gene, all samples were screened for filarioid DNA using a PCR assay targeting the mitochondrial cox1 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene. Samples testing positive in the screening assay were subsequently subjected to PCR amplification of the mitochondrial 12 S rRNA gene for further molecular characterization. Overall, 53/123 (43.08%) samples were positive in the cox1-based screening PCR, including 24/42 E. sexcinctus, 4/19 P. maximus, 23/57 M. tridactyla, and 2/5 T. tetradactyla samples. Of these, 14/53 (26.41%) were also positive in the PCR targeting the filiarioid 12 S rRNA gene, including 11 E. sexcinctus, one P. maximus, one M. tridactyla, and one T. tetradactyla sample. Phylogenetic analysis based on the cox1 gene showed that the five sequences obtained from E. sexcinctus and the single sequence from P. maximus clustered together in a distinct clade closely related to Onchocerca spp., whereas the sequence obtained from T. tetradactyla formed a separate, isolated lineage. In contrast, phylogenetic analysis based on the 12 S rRNA gene positioned the sequences detected in E. sexcinctus and P. maximus within the same clade as a unclassified Filariidae previously detected in M. tridactyla from Mato Grosso do Sul. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first molecular detection of filarioid nematodes in armadillos. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses based on two independent molecular markers (cox1 and 12 S rRNA) revealed the occurrence of distinct filarioid lineages associated with mammals of the superorder Xenarthra in Brazil, expanding current knowledge on the diversity and host associations of these parasites in neotropical wildlife.
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BibTeX
@article{sada2026molecular,
title = {{Molecular detection and characterization of filarioid nematodes in wild armadillos and anteaters from Central-Western Brazil.}},
author = {Jovêncio Mateus Sada and Danilo Kluyber and João Vitor Dos Santos Alves da Silva and Ana Claúdia Calchi and Daniel Antônio Braga Lee and Mayara Caiaffa and Grazielle Soresini and Mario H Alves and Ana Carolina Monteirinho Lobo and Arnaud Desbiez and Expedito José de Albuquerque Luna and Olivier Duron and Rosangela Zacarias Machado and Júlio A Benavides and Marcos Rogério André},
journal = {Veterinary research communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s11259-026-11570-0},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42842057},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Molecular detection and characterization of filarioid nematodes in wild armadillos and anteaters from Central-Western Brazil.
AU - Jovêncio Mateus Sada
AU - Danilo Kluyber
AU - João Vitor Dos Santos Alves da Silva
AU - Ana Claúdia Calchi
AU - Daniel Antônio Braga Lee
AU - Mayara Caiaffa
AU - Grazielle Soresini
AU - Mario H Alves
AU - Ana Carolina Monteirinho Lobo
AU - Arnaud Desbiez
AU - Expedito José de Albuquerque Luna
AU - Olivier Duron
AU - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
AU - Júlio A Benavides
AU - Marcos Rogério André
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Veterinary research communications
DO - 10.1007/s11259-026-11570-0
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42842057
AB - Armadillos and anteaters usually interact with a wide range of ectoparasites and associated pathogens. Combined with their unique physiological and ecological characteristics, these interactions make them potential hosts for a diverse range of vector-borne agents (VBA). Despite this, relatively few studies have investigated the occurrence of VBA in mammals of the superorder Xenarthra in Brazil. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and phylogenetic assessment of filarioid nematodes in wild armadillos and anteaters sampled in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central-Western Brazil. A total of 123 biological samples, comprising 105 blood and 18 spleen samples, were analyzed. The spleen samples were collected from five southern tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla) and 13 giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), whereas the blood samples were obtained from 42 six-banded armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus), 15 giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus), and 44 giant anteaters (M. tridactyla). Following DNA extraction and confirmation of DNA quality by PCR amplification of the mammalian gapdh gene, all samples were screened for filarioid DNA using a PCR assay targeting the mitochondrial cox1 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene. Samples testing positive in the screening assay were subsequently subjected to PCR amplification of the mitochondrial 12 S rRNA gene for further molecular characterization. Overall, 53/123 (43.08%) samples were positive in the cox1-based screening PCR, including 24/42 E. sexcinctus, 4/19 P. maximus, 23/57 M. tridactyla, and 2/5 T. tetradactyla samples. Of these, 14/53 (26.41%) were also positive in the PCR targeting the filiarioid 12 S rRNA gene, including 11 E. sexcinctus, one P. maximus, one M. tridactyla, and one T. tetradactyla sample. Phylogenetic analysis based on the cox1 gene showed that the five sequences obtained from E. sexcinctus and the single sequence from P. maximus clustered together in a distinct clade closely related to Onchocerca spp., whereas the sequence obtained from T. tetradactyla formed a separate, isolated lineage. In contrast, phylogenetic analysis based on the 12 S rRNA gene positioned the sequences detected in E. sexcinctus and P. maximus within the same clade as a unclassified Filariidae previously detected in M. tridactyla from Mato Grosso do Sul. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first molecular detection of filarioid nematodes in armadillos. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses based on two independent molecular markers (cox1 and 12 S rRNA) revealed the occurrence of distinct filarioid lineages associated with mammals of the superorder Xenarthra in Brazil, expanding current knowledge on the diversity and host associations of these parasites in neotropical wildlife.
SN - 0165-7380
SN - 1573-7446
ER -