Open AccessMolecular Detection of Plasmodium malariae/Plasmodium brasilianum in Non-Human Primates in Captivity in Costa Rica
Author(s) -
Alicia Fuentes-Ramírez,
Mauricio Jiménez-Soto,
R. M. Castro,
Juan José Romero-Zúñiga,
Gaby Dolz
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0170704
Subject(s) - plasmodium malariae , biology , plasmodium (life cycle) , phylogenetic tree , genbank , virology , polymerase chain reaction , primate , malaria , nested polymerase chain reaction , parasite hosting , zoology , plasmodium falciparum , genetics , plasmodium vivax , gene , ecology , immunology , world wide web , computer science
One hundred and fifty-two blood samples of non-human primates of thirteen rescue centers in Costa Rica were analyzed to determine the presence of species of Plasmodium using thick blood smears, semi-nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (SnM-PCR) for species differentiation, cloning and sequencing for confirmation. Using thick blood smears, two samples were determined to contain the Plasmodium malariae parasite, with SnM-PCR, a total of five (3.3%) samples were positive to P . malariae , cloning and sequencing confirmed both smear samples as P . malariae . One sample amplified a larger and conserved region of 18S rDNA for the genus Plasmodium and sequencing confirmed the results obtained microscopically and through SnM-PCR tests. Sequencing and construction of a phylogenetic tree of this sample revealed that the P . malariae/P . brasilianum parasite (GenBank KU5) found in a howler monkey ( Alouatta palliata ) is identical to that recently reported in humans in Costa Rica. The SnM-PCR detected P . malariae/P . brasilianum parasite in different non-human primate species in captivity and in various regions of the southern Atlantic and Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The similarity of the sequences of parasites found in humans and a monkey suggests that monkeys may be acting as reservoirs of P . malariae/P . brasilianum , for which reason it is important, to include them in control and eradication programs.