A tale of 141 municipalities: the spatial distribution of dengue in Mato Grosso, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the state of Mato Grosso has presented one of the highest dengue incidence rates in Brazil. The meeting of the Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes results in a large variation of rainfall and temperature across different regions of the state. In addition, Mato Grosso has been undergoing intense urban growth since the 1970s, mainly due to the colonization of the Mid-North and North regions. We analyzed factors involved in dengue incidence in Mato Grosso from 2008 to 2019. METHODS: The Moran Global Index was used to assess spatial autocorrelation of dengue incidence using explanatory variables such as temperature, precipitation, deforestation, population density and municipal development index. Areas at risk of dengue were grouped by the Local Moran Indicator. RESULTS: We noticed that areas at risk of dengue expanded from the Mid-North region to the North; the same pattern occurred from the Southeast to the Northeast; the South region remained at low-risk levels. The increase in incidence was influenced by precipitation, deforestation and the municipal development index. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of risk areas for dengue in space and time enables public health authorities to focus their control and prevention efforts, reducing infestation and the potential impact of dengue in the human population.

Invertebrates for vertebrate biodiversity monitoring: Comparisons using three insect taxa as iDNA samplers.

Metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA) is now widely used to build diversity profiles from DNA that has been shed by species into the environment. There is substantial interest in the expansion of eDNA approaches for improved detection of terrestrial vertebrates using invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) in which hematophagous, sarcophagous, and coprophagous invertebrates sample vertebrate blood, carrion, or faeces. Here, we used metabarcoding and multiple iDNA samplers (carrion flies, sandflies, and mosquitos) collected from 39 forested sites in the southern Amazon to profile gamma and alpha diversity. Our main objectives were to (1) compare diversity found with iDNA to camera trapping, which is the conventional method of vertebrate diversity surveillance; and (2) compare each of the iDNA samplers to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and potential biases associated with each sampler. In total, we collected and analysed 1759 carrion flies, 48,686 sandflies, and 4776 mosquitos. Carrion flies revealed the greatest total vertebrate species richness at the landscape level, despite the least amount of sampling effort and the fewest number of individuals captured for metabarcoding, followed by sandflies. Camera traps had the highest median species richness at the site-level but showed strong bias towards carnivore and ungulate species and missed much of the diversity described by iDNA methods. Mosquitos showed a strong feeding preference for humans as did sandflies for armadillos, thus presenting potential utility to further study related to host-vector interactions.

Detection of Ilheus virus in mosquitoes from southeast Amazon, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Arbovirus surveillance in field-collected mosquitoes is essential in monitoring virus activity to avoid emergence and outbreaks of arboviruses. METHODS: We used reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction methods to search for arbovirus in mosquitoes collected in Brazil's southeast Amazon forest remnants during 2015-2016. RESULTS: We detected Iheus virus (ILHV) RNA in Culex declarator, Culex (Melanoconion) and Ochlerotatus serratus mosquitoes. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate ILHV circulation in the studied area, highlighting its potential emergence in human population. More studies are necessary to confirm the roles of these three species in ILHV maintenance.

A new distribution range of Ateles chamek (Humboldt 1812) in an ecotone of three biomes in the Paraguay River Basin.

Historical records of Ateles chamek (black-faced black spider monkey) suggest that the species range extends further south of the known species distribution, within an ecotonal region between the Amazonia, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes in Brazil. Ecotones are zones of habitat transition with high species richness that remain undersampled as conservationists often prioritize biodiversity hotspots. Thus, distribution ranges may be inaccurately measured when species occur in ecotonal zones. We report the first precise records of A. chamek in 24 new localities surveyed in the ecotonal zone of the Upper Paraguay River Basin, and we present subgroup encounter rates in the 11 largest patches (>70 ha) along 207 km of the line transects surveyed. The new records represent an expansion of the distribution of A. chamek approximately 200 km to the south, increasing the known extent of its occurrence by 10.8%. Local tributaries may not be barriers for spider monkeys, which are able to swim and cross slow-moving rivers. However, the dry forests of the Cerrado and the flooded areas of the Pantanal, formed by grassland and scarce trees, may be habitat barriers for A. chamek. The populations living in this ecotonal zone are relatively abundant (1.1-6.67 subgroup sightings/10 km) compared to the heavily hunted continuous forests of northern Amazonia. Furthermore, these values are similar to those for other Ateles spp. inhabiting forests with low or no hunting pressure. We highlight the need for specific conservation action to protect the spider monkeys living in these landscapes, which are threatened by agriculture expansion.

Seed Dispersal of Threatened Tree Species by a Critically Endangered Primate in a Brazilian Hotspot.

In the northern Atlantic Forest, hunting and habitat loss have eliminated most large mammals that disperse zoochoric fruits. Due to the decrease in populations of large seed dispersers, yellow-breasted capuchins (Sapajusxanthosternos) are currently one of the largest arboreal fruit-eating mammals in the region. During 26 months, we followed 14-25 capuchins aiming to (1) present data on their dietary ecology, (2) verify the conservation status of plants in the diet, and (3) determine distance and habitat of seed deposition based on gut retention time. Capuchins showed a preference for feeding in old secondary forests in spite of the greater availability of primary forests. They fed on 109 species of fruits (42.7% of feeding frequency) and swallowed 85 species of seeds (mean width: 0.73 ± 0.57 cm; mean length: 1.17 ± 0.83 cm). Capuchins consumed mostly oil palm and manilkara fruits. We observed long distances of seed deposition (median 300-360 m); 36.8-41.7% of these events occurred in a distinct habitat, and seeds of 12 late-stage trees swallowed in the primary forest were deposited in old secondary forests. S. xanthosternos has an important role in the first phase of seed dispersal (seed removal from the parent tree and seed deposition), particularly for 23 endemic and 3 endangered plants.

Predator-prey interaction between two threatened species in a Brazilian hotspot

Conflicts in conservation may arise if two or more threatened species are involved in preypredator interaction. Predators may have a profound effect on small prey populations, thus conservation actions must consider inter-specific interactions involving threatened species. Here we report nest predation events on a wild population of the Endangered red-billed curassow Crax blumenbachii Spix, 1825 by a group of the Critically Endangered yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys Sapajus xanthosternos Wied-Neuwied, 1820 in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This is the first study to report egg predation of an threatened gamebird by an threatened primate. We recommend that systematic conservation planning for these threatened species consider interactions, especially considering upcoming reintroduction programs indicated in the National Action Plans for these species conservation.

Conflitos em conservac¸a˜o podem ocorrer quando duas espe´cies ameac¸adas sa˜o envolvidas em interac¸o˜es presa-predador. Predadores podem ter um profundo efeito sobre pequenas populac¸o˜es de presas, portanto ac¸o˜es de conservac¸a˜o devem considerar estas interac¸o˜es interespeci´ficas envolvendo espe´cies ameac¸adas. Reportamos aqui a predac¸a˜o de ovos em uma populac¸a˜o selvagem de mutum-do-sudeste Crax blumenbachii Spix, 1825 por um grupo monitorado de primatas criticamente ameac¸ados, macaco-pregodo-peito-amarelo Sapajus xanthosternos Wied-Neuwied 1820 na Mata Atlaˆntica. Este e´ o primeiro estudo a reportar a predac¸a˜o de ovos de uma espe´cie ameac¸ada de ave cinege´tica por um primata tambe´m ameac¸ado de extinc¸a˜o. Recomendamos o planejamento conciliado de ac¸o˜es de conservac¸a˜o para ambas espe´cies ameac¸adas, especialmente por os futuros programas de reintroduc¸a˜o indicados para as respectivas espe´cies em seus Planos de Ac¸a˜o Nacionais para a Conservac¸a˜o de Espe´cies Ameac¸adas de Extinc¸a˜o.