A Promising Approach to Mitigate Risks on the Existing Tailings Dams in Brazil.

Mining operations lead to the production of large quantities of mineral waste, such as fluid fine tailings whose disposal is rather challenging. In Brazil, tailings disposal is facing a critical situation due to the large accidents that took place in the last couple of years. As a response to these accidents, the Brazilian Mining Agency became stricter on licensing mining complexes and issued an interruption on activities on 56 tailings dams. In this paper, the authors propose a promising approach to minimize risks on the existing tailings dams hoping that the industry succeeds at mining avoiding social harms and environmental damages. The results presented herein showed that in situ electrical dewatering is a promising technology that offers many benefits. It can significantly increase the solids content of liquefiable tailings stratum within a short time. This leads to tailings masses possessing higher shear strength. As a consequence, this technology might well lead to safe tailing dams in Brazil bringing socio-economic and environmental benefits.

A Nonsense N -Terminus NFKB2 Mutation Leading to Haploinsufficiency in a Patient with a Predominantly Antibody Deficiency.

The noncanonical NF-κB pathway is implicated in diverse biological and immunological processes. Monoallelic C-terminus loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations of NFKB2 have been recently identified as a cause of immunodeficiency manifesting with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) or combined immunodeficiency (CID) phenotypes. Herein we report a family carrying a heterozygous nonsense mutation in NFKB2 (c.809G > A, p.W270*). This variant is associated with increased mRNA decay and no mutant NFKB2 protein expression, leading to NFKB2 haploinsufficiency. Our findings demonstrate that bona fide NFKB2 haploinsufficiency, likely caused by mutant mRNA decay and protein instability leading to the transcription and expression of only the wild-type allele, is associated with clinical immunodeficiency, although with incomplete clinical penetrance. Abnormal B cell development, hypogammaglobulinemia, poor antibody response, and abnormal noncanonical (but normal canonical) NF-κB pathway signaling are the immunologic hallmarks of this disease. This adds a third allelic variant to the pathophysiology of NFKB2-mediated immunodeficiency disorders.

Correction to: A Nonsense N -Terminus NFKB2 Mutation Leading to Haploinsufficiency in a Patient with a Predominantly Antibody Deficiency.

Due to typesetting mistake, the caption of Figure 2 was mistakenly replaced with the caption of Figure 3.

Feasibility and Outcomes of an Electronic Health Record Intervention to Improve Hypertension Management in Immigrant-serving Primary Care Practices.

BACKGROUND: South Asians experience a disproportionate burden of high blood pressure (BP) in the United States, arguably the most preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: We report 12-month results of an electronic health record (EHR)-based intervention, as a component of a larger project, "Implementing Million Hearts for Provider and Community Transformation." The EHR intervention included launching hypertension patient registries and implementing culturally tailored alerts and order sets to improve hypertension control among patients treated in 14 New York City practices located in predominantly South Asian immigrant neighborhoods. DESIGN: Using a modified stepped-wedge quasi-experimental study design, practice-level EHR data were extracted, and individual-level data were obtained on a subset of patients insured by a Medicaid insurer via their data warehouse. The primary aggregate outcome was change in proportion of hypertensive patients with controlled BP; individual-level outcomes included average systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) at last clinic visit. Qualitative interviews were conducted to assess intervention feasibility. MEASURES: Hypertension was defined as having at least 1 hypertension ICD-9/10 code. Well-controlled hypertension was defined as SBP<140 and DBP<90 mm Hg. RESULTS: Postintervention, we observed a significant improvement in hypertension control at the practice level, adjusting for age and sex patient composition (adjusted relative risk, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.14). Among the subset of Medicaid patients, we observed a significant reduction in average SBP and DBP adjusting for time, age, and sex, by 1.71 and 1.13 mm Hg, respectively (P<0.05). Providers reported feeling supported and satisfied with EHR components. CONCLUSIONS: EHR initiatives in practices serving immigrants and minorities may enhance practice capabilities to improve hypertension control.

Genetic diversity of Leptospira in northwestern Colombia: first report of Leptospira santarosai as a recognised leptospirosis agent.

The region of Antioquia in northeastern Colombia has the highest number of reported leptospirosis cases in the country. It also shows high seroprevalence indexes in the general population and socio-environmental conditions favourable for the transmission of the disease between humans and animals. In this study, 25 Leptospira isolates from Colombia's Antioquia department were identified to the species level as L. santarosai (12), L. interrogans (9) and L. meyeri (4) using phylogenetic analysis of the Amidohydrolase gene. Typing at the serovar level was performed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and monoclonal antibodies. The serovars Canalzonae, Babudieri, Alice, Beye, and Copenhageni have been identified as causing human or animal infections in Antioquia, Colombia. The four environmental isolates were not identified to the serovar level. L. santarosai serovar Canalzonae and Alice were identified as new etiologic agents of human leptospirosis in Antioquia, Colombia. This paper reports species and serovars that were previously unknown in the region.

Autologous Plasma Rich in Growth Factors Eyedrops in Refractory Cases of Ocular Surface Disorders.

PURPOSE: Preliminary information about the safety and efficacy of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eyedrops in the treatment of refractory cases of diverse ocular surface disorders (OSDs) is presented here. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included cases with OSDs refractory to previous treatment with conventional treatments or autologous serum or cyclosporine, and treated with PRGF eyedrops. The signs and symptoms of ocular surface disorders [using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual analog scale (VAS) frequency and VAS severity] were evaluated before and after treatment with PRGF. A safety assessment was also performed reporting all adverse events or complications. RESULTS: Forty-one patients with a total of 80 treated eyes were evaluated. Statistically significant reductions in the OSDI scale (39.27%), VAS frequency (38.9%) and VAS severity (40.3%), and a significant improvement in BCVA (54.86%) were all observed (p < 0.05). The results were stratified according to the identified potential effect modifiers. There were only two adverse events (eye redness and eyelid inflammation), which were reported as mild and resolved in a few days. CONCLUSIONS: PRGF eyedrops could be a safe and effective treatment option for refractory cases of OSDs. When treating patients the possible influence on the results of some clinical variables must be taken into account.

A new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the dusky rice rat Melanomys caliginosus (Tomes) (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Costa Rica.

We collected faecal samples from 24 dusky rice rats, Melanomys caliginosus (Tomes) (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae), in a Biological Reserve in Costa Rica, and found three (12.5%) to be infected with a species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875, which we describe here as new. Sporulated oöcysts of Eimeria caliginosa n. sp. are almost spheroidal and measure 16-21 × 17-20 (mean 19.6 × 18.2) µm; micropyle, oöcyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 9-13 × 6-8 (mean 11.2 × 6.7) µm, with small Stieda and sub-Stieda bodies present, but a para-Stieda body is absent; the sporocyst residuum is a compact mass of c.11-15 granules, c.5 µm wide. Sporozoites are crescent-shaped, 5-8 × 2-3 (mean 6.8 × 2.4) µm. This is the third species of Eimeria described from the genus Melanomys Thomas.

Study on the relation of the characteristics of the capture sites with the Leptospira spp. occurrence in bats and rodents from Yucatan, Mexico.

This study aims to describe the natural Leptospira occurrence in small mammals from Yucatan, Mexico, and to explore the relation between the characteristics of the capture sites and the Leptospira occurrence. Bats and rodents were captured in five sites of Yucatan state, and from them, a kidney fragment was collected that was used in the genomic DNA extraction. Leptospira DNA was identified by PCR targeting the 16S-rRNA and LipL32 genes. Additionally, a bioinformatic analysis was carried out to know the Leptospira species and was corroborated with a phylogenetic tree. The assemblage of small mammals was compound of 82 (51.2 %) bats and 78 (48.8 %) rodents. A global frequency (bats plus rodents) of Leptospira occurrence of 21.2 % (34/160) was observed; in bats, it was 21.9 % (18/82), and in rodents, 20.5 % (16/78). The phylogenetic trees based on LipL32 gene showed that the recovered sequences most closely resemble the species L. borgpetersenii and L. noguchii. The ordination of the capture sites with tropical deciduous forests as original vegetation is more related to the abundance of Leptospira-infected rodents. The ordination of the capture sites with tropical sub-deciduous forests as original vegetation is more related to the diversity of Leptospira-infected bat species. The canonical ordering of the capture sites is by the original vegetation type and the diversity and abundance of Leptospira-infected bat and rodent species.

Assessing the impact of a 6-year health sciences enrichment program for underrepresented minority youth on healthcare workforce diversity, career path, and public health.

Background: Improving the quality of care for a diverse population requires a diverse healthcare workforce which necessitates high educational attainment among underrepresented communities. Programs aimed to address healthcare workforce diversity gaps also serve as a public health intervention by offering avenues to improve the health of local communities by providing students with the knowledge and skills to promote healthy behaviors, foster scientific literacy, and inspire future public health professionals - who in turn serve their local communities to advance health outcomes. We interviewed alumni of the New York Presbyterian Hospital Lang Youth Medical Program (LYMP), a high school health sciences mentoring and enrichment program for underrepresented minority youth in Upper Manhattan, from graduating classes between 2012 and 2021 to explore their perspectives on what aspects of the program had the most impact on their academic and career paths. Method: This is a qualitative study using in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews. All interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method for developing grounded theory, following a convenience sampling method. Results: 106 codes were organized into 24 themes, which were further arranged into 4 topic areas: demonstrated program success, intangible program drivers, improvement opportunities, and barriers to program participation. Topic areas captured participants' perspectives on how the program is designed to foster an environment of personal, academic, and professional development; ways aspects of the program organically worked together to provide unanticipated positive facilitators; opportunities for program improvements, and external factors that influenced decision-making. Conclusion: Through this study, we found that the LYMP had a positive influence in helping participants set and achieve personal, academic, and professional goals. Alumni reported activities and experiences offered by the program that foster key youth development constructs linked to healthier and more resilient communities. Importantly, the vast majority of participants described how the synergism between program features, staff support, family involvement, and professional development and networking created an environment of achievement that went beyond the scope of the program design. Findings from this study offer a blueprint for other organizations to craft a similarly successful enrichment program that improves health outcomes, reduces health disparities, and promotes overall population health.

Molecular systematics and phylogeography of Cebus capucinus (Cebidae, Primates) in Colombia and Costa Rica by means of the mitochondrial COII gene.

We propose the first molecular systematic hypothesis for the origin and evolution of Cebus capucinus based on an analysis of 710 base pairs (bp) of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COII) mitochondrial gene in 121 C. capucinus specimens sampled in the wild. The animals came from the borders of Guatemala and Belize, Costa Rica, and eight different departments of Colombia (Antioquia, Chocó, Sucre, Bolivar, Córdoba, Magdalena, Cauca, and Valle del Cauca). Three different and significant haplotype lineages were found in Colombia living sympatrically in the same departments. They all presented high levels of gene diversity but the third Colombian gene pool was determined likely to be the most ancestral lineage. The second Colombian mitochondrial (mt) haplogroup is likely the source of origin of the unique Central America mt haplogroup that was detected. Our molecular population genetics data do not agree with the existence of two well-defined subspecies in Central America (limitaneus and imitator). This Central America mt haplogroup showed significantly less genetic diversity than the Colombian mt haplogroups. All the C. capucinus analyzed showed evidence of historical population expansions. The temporal splits among these four C. capucinus lineages were related to the completion of the Panamanian land bridge as well as to climatic changes during the Quaternary Period.

In vitro antimalarial activity of extracts of some plants from a biological reserve in Costa Rica.

Treatment with the usual antimalarial drugs, have induced parasite resistance, reinforcing the need to finding natural antimalarial components that would be found on plants from the forest. Therefore, we decided to look for these components in Costa Rican plants from a protected forest area. Fresh and dry extracts of roots, bark, leaves, flowers and fruits of 25 plants from a biological reserve in Costa Rica, Reserva Biol6gica Alberto Manuel Brenes (REBAMB), were studied in vitro for the presence of substances with antimalarial activity. By studying the inhibition of P berghei schizogony, we assessed the antimalarial activity of several plant extracts: Aphelandra aurantiaca, A. tridentata (Acanthaceae); Xanthosoma undipes (Araceae); Iriartea deltoidea (Arecaceae); Neurolaena lobata (Asteraceae); Senna papillosa, Pterocarpus hayessi, Lonchocarpus pentaphyllus (Fabaceae); Nectandra membranacea, Persea povedae, Cinamomum chavarrianum (Lauraceae); Hampea appendiculata (Malvaceae); Ruagea glabra, Guarea glabra (Meliaceae); Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae); Bocconia frutescens (Papaveraceae); Piper friedrichsthalii (Piperaceae); Clematis dioica (Ranunculaceae); Prunus annularis (Rosaceae); Siparuna thecaphora (Siparunaceae); Solanum arboreum, Witheringia solanacea (Solanaceae); Ticodendrum incognitum (Ticodendraceae); Heliocarpus appendiculatus (Tiliaceae) and Myriocarpa longipes (Urticaceae). We used different parts of the plants as well as fresh and dried extracts for testing IC50. The solid content of the extracts ranged from 1-71.9 microg/mL. The fresh extracts showed stronger activity than the dry ones. Since the plants showing the strongest antimalarial activity are very common in Central America, and some similar genera of these plants have shown positives results in South America, we considered important to present these findings for discussion. On the other hand, this is the first systematic study of this kind ever realized in a circumscribed and protected area of Costa Rica.

Highly Multiplexed Serology for Nonhuman Mammals.

Emerging infectious diseases represent a serious and ongoing threat to humans. Most emerging viruses are maintained in stable relationships with other species of animals, and their emergence within the human population results from cross-species transmission. Therefore, if we want to be prepared for the next emerging virus, we need to broadly characterize the diversity and ecology of viruses currently infecting other animals (i.e., the animal virosphere). High-throughput metagenomic sequencing has accelerated the pace of virus discovery. However, molecular assays can detect only active infections and only if virus is present within the sampled fluid or tissue at the time of collection. In contrast, serological assays measure long-lived antibody responses to infections, which can be detected within the blood, regardless of the infected tissues. Therefore, serological assays can provide a complementary approach for understanding the circulation of viruses, and while serological assays have historically been limited in scope, recent advancements allow thousands to hundreds of thousands of antigens to be assessed simultaneously using <1 µL of blood (i.e., highly multiplexed serology). The application of highly multiplexed serology for the characterization of the animal virosphere is dependent on the availability of reagents that can be used to capture or label antibodies of interest. Here, we evaluate the utility of commercial immunoglobulin-binding proteins (protein A and protein G) to enable highly multiplexed serology in 25 species of nonhuman mammals, and we describe a competitive fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (FLISA) that can be used as an initial screen for choosing the most appropriate capture protein for a given host species. IMPORTANCE Antibodies are generated in response to infections with viruses and other pathogens, and they help protect against future exposures. Mature antibodies are long lived, are highly specific, and can bind to their protein targets with high affinity. Thus, antibodies can also provide information about an individual's history of viral exposures, which has important applications for understanding the epidemiology and etiology of disease. In recent years, there have been large advances in the available methods for broadly characterizing antibody-binding profiles, but thus far, these have been utilized primarily with human samples only. Here, we demonstrate that commercial antibody-binding reagents can facilitate modern antibody assays for a wide variety of mammalian species, and we describe an inexpensive and fast approach for choosing the best reagent for each animal species. By studying antibody-binding profiles in captive and wild animals, we can better understand the distribution and prevalence of viruses that could spill over into humans.

High Diversity of Leptospira Species Infecting Bats Captured in the Urabá Region (Antioquia-Colombia).

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. This zoonotic disease affects humans, domestic animals and wild animals. Colombia is considered an endemic country for leptospirosis; Antioquia is the second department in Colombia, with the highest number of reported leptospirosis cases. Currently, many studies report bats as reservoirs of Leptospira spp. but the prevalence in these mammals is unknown. The goal of this study was to better understand the role of bats as reservoir hosts of Leptospira species and to evaluate the genetic diversity of circulating Leptospira species in Antioquia-Colombia. We captured 206 bats in the municipalities of Chigorodó (43 bats), Carepa (43 bats), Apartadó (39 bats), Turbo (40 bats), and Necoclí (41 bats) in the Urabá region (Antioquia-Colombia). Twenty bats tested positive for Leptospira spp. infection (20/206-9.70%) and the species of infected bats were Carollia perspicillata, Dermanura rava, Glossophaga soricina, Molossus molossus, Artibeus planirostris, and Uroderma convexum. These species have different feeding strategies such as frugivorous, insectivores, and nectarivores. The infecting Leptospira species identified were Leptospira borgpetersenii (3/20-15%), Leptospira alexanderi (2/20-10%), Leptospira noguchii (6/20-30%), Leptospira interrogans (3/20-15%), and Leptospira kirschneri (6/20-30%). Our results showed the importance of bats in the epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of Leptospira in this host-pathogen association. This is the first step in deciphering the role played by bats in the epidemiology of human leptospirosis in the endemic region of Urabá (Antioquia-Colombia).

Toxoplasma gondii infection in Colombia with a review of hosts and their ecogeographic distribution.

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most prevalent zoonotic protozoan parasites among warm-blooded animal populations (humans included) around the world, causing multiple clinic manifestations including death in the most severe cases of infection. Due to the versatile life cycle of T. gondii and its diversity of potential hosts, there is a common perception that natural areas and wildlife are highly prevalent reservoirs for the parasite; however, information and reports of the parasite on wildlife populations in Colombia are scarce. Using PRC-based detection analyses of the B1 gene, we evaluated the presence of T. gondii in 49 native small mammal species (10% of the mammal species of Colombia) from 4 different undisturbed natural habitats. Additionally, to understand the ecogeographical distribution of the parasite in Colombia, we developed a literature search of infection reports including information on the host species, density of records and occurrence patterns (using landcover and ecoregions) in natural, rural and urban areas. Our literature review showed a total of 8,103 reports of T. gondii for Colombia of which 86% were related to humans, and 14% to non-human mammals and other categories, with just a single report associated to wildlife; additionally, 82% of all reports were associated to urban areas whereas only 18% to rural sites. Based on the negative results for the presence of T. gondii in our PCR-based analyses and our literature search, we suggest that T. gondii has a synanthropic distribution in Colombia occurring in ecoregions as variable as the xeric scrubs in the northern lowlands and humid montane Andean forests, also we show a lack of information on the parasite relationship with wildlife, a concerning fact given that zoonoses are the leading mechanism for the emergence of infectious diseases.

West Nile and Zika viruses in bats from a suburban area of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

Infections with viruses of the Flavivirus genus were explored in 22 bats (Artibeus jamaicensis) from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The detection of the viral genus was performed by RT-PCR, and infections with dengue (DENV 1-4), West Nile (WNV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses were subsequently explored. Sequences from positive products were analysed using the BLAST algorithm to determine identity. In 7 (31.8%) and 2 (9.1%) bats, WNV and ZIKV were identified, respectively. The bioinformatic analysis showed 98%-100% coverage and identity for both viruses. Molecular evidence of WNV and ZIKV natural infection in bats from Yucatan, Mexico, is presented.

Natural infection with Trypanosoma cruzi in bats captured in Campeche and Yucatán, México. / Infección natural con Trypanosoma cruzi en murciélagos capturados en Campeche y Yucatán, México

INTRODUCTION: Bats have been reported as hosts of the Trypanosoma cruzi protozoan, the etiologic agent of American trypanosomiasis, an endemic zoonotic disease in México. OBJECTIVE: To describe T. cruzi infection in bats from the states of Campeche and Yucatán, México. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Captures were made from March to November, 2017, at three sites in Yucatán and one in Campeche. Up to four mist nets on two consecutive nights were used for the capture. The bats' species were identified and euthanasia was performed to collect kidney and heart samples for total DNA extraction. Trypanosoma cruzi infection was detected by conventional PCR with the amplification of a fragment belonging to the T. cruzi DNA nuclear. RESULTS: Eighty-six bats belonging to five families (Vespertilionidae, Noctilionidae, Mormoopidae, Phyllostomidae, and Molossidae) and 13 species (Rhogeessa aeneus, Noctilio leporinus, Pteronotus davyi, P. parnellii, Artibeus jamaicensis, A. lituratus, A. phaeotis, Glossophaga soricina, Carollia sowelli, Chiroderma villosum, Uroderma bilobatum, Sturnira parvidens, and Molossus rufus) were captured. Infection frequency by PCR was 30,2% (26/86) detected only in the renal tissue. The infected species were P. parnellii, G. soricina, A. lituratus, A. jamaicensis, S. parvidens, C. villosum, and R. aeneus. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the participation of several bat species as hosts in the T. cruzi transmission cycle in the region. Further studies are necessary to establish the importance of these animals in the zoonotic transmission of T. cruzi.

Introducción. Los murciélagos se han reportado como huéspedes del protozoario Trypanosoma cruzi, agente etiológico de la tripanosomiasis americana, enfermedad zoonótica endémica en México. Objetivo. Describir la infección con T. cruzi en murciélagos capturados en los estados de Campeche y Yucatán, México. Materiales y métodos. Se realizaron capturas de marzo a noviembre de 2017 en tres sitios de Yucatán y uno de Campeche. Para la captura se emplearon hasta cuatro redes de niebla por dos noches consecutivas. Se identificó la especie de los murciélagos capturados y se les practicó la eutanasia para recolectar muestras de riñón y corazón, utilizadas posteriormente en la extracción de ADN total. La infección con T. cruzi se detectó por la amplificación con PCR convencional de un fragmento perteneciente al ADN nuclear de T. cruzi. Resultados. Se capturaron 86 murciélagos pertenecientes a cinco familias (Vespertilionidae, Noctilionidae, Mormoopidae, Phyllostomidae, Molossidae) y 13 especies (Rhogeessa aeneus, Noctilio leporinus, Pteronotus davyi, P. parnellii, Artibeus jamaicensis, A. lituratus, A. phaeotis, Glossophaga soricina, Carollia sowelli, Chiroderma villosum, Uroderma bilobatum, Sturnira parvidens y Molossus rufus). La PCR mostró una frecuencia de infección de 30,2 % (26/86), detectada únicamente en tejido renal. Las especies infectadas fueron P. parnellii, G. soricina, A. lituratus, A. jamaicensis, S. parvidens, C. villosum y R. aeneus. Conclusiones. Los resultados confirmaron la participación de varias especies de murciélagos como huéspedes en el ciclo de transmisión de T. cruzi en la región. Es necesario realizar más estudios para determinar la importancia de estos animales en la transmisión zoonótica de T. cruzi.

Development and characterization of two equine formulations towards SARS-CoV-2 proteins for the potential treatment of COVID-19.

In the current global emergency due to SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, passive immunotherapy emerges as a promising treatment for COVID-19. Among animal-derived products, equine formulations are still the cornerstone therapy for treating envenomations due to animal bites and stings. Therefore, drawing upon decades of experience in manufacturing snake antivenom, we developed and preclinically evaluated two anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal equine formulations as potential alternative therapy for COVID-19. We immunized two groups of horses with either S1 (anti-S1) or a mixture of S1, N, and SEM mosaic (anti-Mix) viral recombinant proteins. Horses reached a maximum anti-viral antibody level at 7 weeks following priming, and showed no major adverse acute or chronic clinical alterations. Two whole-IgG formulations were prepared via hyperimmune plasma precipitation with caprylic acid and then formulated for parenteral use. Both preparations had similar physicochemical and microbiological quality and showed ELISA immunoreactivity towards S1 protein and the receptor binding domain (RBD). The anti-Mix formulation also presented immunoreactivity against N protein. Due to high anti-S1 and anti-RBD antibody content, final products exhibited high in vitro neutralizing capacity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 80 times higher than a pool of human convalescent plasma. Pre-clinical quality profiles were similar among both products, but clinical efficacy and safety must be tested in clinical trials. The technological strategy we describe here can be adapted by other producers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

New molecular target for the phylogenetic identification of Leptospira species directly from clinical samples: an alternative gene to 16S rRNA.

INTRODUCTION: Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S ribosomal gene initial region is used to identify Leptospira isolates at the species level from clinical samples. Unfortunately, this method cannot differentiate between some intermediates and saprophytic species. METHODS: We used comparative genomic analysis between 35 Leptospira species to find new molecular targets for Leptospira species identification. RESULTS: We proposed the use of the rpoC gene, encoding the DNA-directed RNA polymerase ß-subunit, for identifying 35 Leptospira species. CONCLUSIONS: The rpoC gene can be a molecular target to identify the main species of the Leptospira genus directly from clinical samples.

Prevalence of fur mites (Acari: Atopomelidae) in non-human primates of Costa Rica.

Parasites have been investigated for some New World primates; however, very little is known about ectoparasites and specifically fur mites. In this study, Alouatta palliata, Cebus capucinus, Saimiri oerstedii, and Ateles geoffroyi monkeys from different areas of Costa Rica were searched for fur mites. A total of 276 monkeys were evaluated, and 51 of them were positive for mites of the family Atopomelidae. Listrocarpus alouattae was identified on 22.3% of A. palliata; Listrocarpus capucinus on 12.8% of C. capucinus; and Listrocarpus costaricensis on 36.8% of S. oerstedii; No fur mites were found on A. geoffroyi. Sex was not considered a determinant of mite infestation, but prevalence was significantly higher in the Central Volcanic Mountain Range Conservation Area for L. alouattae (p=0.01) and in the Central Pacific Conservation Area for L. capucinus (p=0.002). These primate fur mites are highly host-specific. Differences in the geographical distribution may be due to monkey behavior and history, as well as to environmental conditions.

Intestinal Life Cycle of Eimeria caliginosa (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From the Dusky Rice Rat, Melanomys caliginosus (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae), In Costa Rica.

The endogenous life cycle of Eimeria caliginosa was studied in experimentally infected dusky rice rats, Melanomys caliginosus. All endogenous stages were located in the epithelial cells of villi in the small intestine. Both Giemsa-stained mucosal scrapings and histological sections were studied for the diagnosis of all the life-cycle stages. Eimeria caliginosa has 3 generations of meronts (M) that differ by size, shape, and number of merozoites (m), which also differ in their size, shape, and location of their nuclei within the cytoplasm of the meronts. The 3 meront types, M1-M3, respectively, had 20-33 (m1), 5-9 (m2), and 13-16 (m3) merozoites. Macrogametocytes and microgametocytes, as well as macrogametes and microgametes, completed the sexual cycle, which concludes with the formation of unsporulated oocysts. This parasite's endogenous development produced severe intestinal lesions in the experimentally infected dusky rice rats. In our ongoing work to understand the biodiversity present in plants and animals of the protected Reserva Biológica Alberto Manuel Brenes (ReBAMB) field station in Costa Rica, we now have discovered 3 new Eimeria species, and this is the second complete life cycle in which we document both the asexual and sexual stages.