Emergence of Mansonella sp. in free-ranging primates in southern Brazil

Mansonellosis is a neglected and emerging tropical disease. Among all zoonotic filarial diseases, it is probably the most prevalent and least studied, with approximately 114 million people infected. The parasites of Mansonella spp. are among the most common blood parasitemias and are widely found in Africa and Latin America. Through molecular analysis of blood samples from free-ranging primates Sapajus nigritus (n 33) and Alouatta guariba clamitans (n 5) in the southern states of Brazil (Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul), we identified samples positive for Mansonella perstans in two specimens of A. guariba clamitans. A fragment of 578 bp from the ITS intergenic region (5.8S-ITS2-28S) was targeted for an initial PCR screening. Subsequently, positive samples were subjected to other PCR assays targeting a fragment of the 12S and the 18S genes. This is the first record of molecular detection of the agent in this host in the Pampa Biome. With a wide distribution across Brazil and Argentina, these primates may represent a potential wild reservoir for the zoonotic agent of mansonellosis. Entomological and transmission studies are essential to avoid the urbanization of mansonellosis and to understand the cycles of agents in different environmental scenarios.