Trypanosomatids are uniflagellate protozoa belonging to the Trypanosomatidae family. The genera Trypanosoma and Leishmania are of paramount importance as they contain species that cause serious diseases, such as Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis, respectively. The objective of the present study was to identify trypanosomatids present in the whole blood of free-living and captive neotropical primates in Mato Grosso State, Midwest Brazil. Between 2017 and 2019, 38 blood samples were collected from seven different neotropical primate species in seven cities in the state. Through molecular techniques, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a fragment of the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis, nine Leishmania spp. [seven L. infantum and two L. (Leishmania) amazonensis] and two Trypanosoma spp. (T. minasense and T. rangeli) were identified. This study contributes to understanding the occurrence and epidemiology of trypanosomatids in Mato Grosso State and the importance of neotropical primates as trypanosome hosts and possible infection sources for other animals and humans. Future identification of other blood pathogens in neotropical primates will assist in disease control and prevention strategies.

Gastrointestinal parasitism by helminths and protozoa poses risks to animal and human health owing to clinical changes and transmission of potentially zoonotic agents. Thus, the present study aimed to verify the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs from the municipality of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil, using coproparasitological tests. From June 2021 to April 2022, faecal samples were collected from domestic dogs at the Veterinary Hospital and Animal Protection Shelters in the Cuiabá municipality. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to the owners and those responsible for the shelters to analyse the factors associated with gastrointestinal parasitism. A total of 353 faecal samples were collected and subjected to parasitological flotation and sedimentation techniques. Data were analysed using the chi-squared test and exploratory factorial analysis. The occurrence of gastrointestinal parasitism was 22.66% and the parasites found alone or in mixed infections were Ancylostoma spp., Trichuris vulpis, Toxocara spp., Dipylidium caninum, Cystoisospora spp., Giardia duodenalis, and coccidia. It was concluded that the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs is frequent, and the variables associated with these infections were source origin, breed, age, coexistence with other animals, and dull fur.

To a better insight into the epidemiology and genetic diversity of protozoan hemoparasites infections in wild mammals, this study aimed to the post mortem detection of DNA from species of the order Piroplasmida (Babesia sp., Cytauxzoon sp., and Theileria sp.) and suborder Adelorina (Hepatozoon sp.) using polymerase chain reaction based on the 18S rRNA gene followed by genetic sequencing of blood and spleen samples collected from carcasses of 164 free-ranging and captive wild mammals from Mato Grosso state. Among them, one Leopardus pardalis, three Panthera onca, two Puma concolor were positive for Cytauxzoon sp., and six Tapirus terrestris tested positive for Piroplasmida, while one L. pardalis was positive for Hepatozoon sp. Furthermore, an uncharacterized piroplasmid genetically related to Theileria sp. previously detected in cats from Brazil was described in lowland tapirs. Despite the controversy regarding the epidemiological threat of these protozoa, the detection of these tick-borne agents in wild free-living and captive mammals, even when asymptomatic, demonstrates the importance of monitoring, particularly in hotspots such as the state of Mato Grosso, to verify the circulation and genetic diversity, to anticipate the possible emergence of diseases, and even their consequences to other animals as well as humans.

A young male free-ranging giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla ) was found with paralysis of pelvic limbs on a highway and kept under human care. Radiographs confirmed multiple incomplete fractures in the thoracolumbar vertebrae. Due to the poor prognosis, euthanasia was chosen. The infection was established by viral SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in the rectal swab, spleen and kidney samples. Immunohistochemistry detected the viral nucleocapsid protein in sections of the lungs, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and large intestine sections, and spike protein antigen in the lung tissue. Pilosa order species should be included as potential hosts of natural infection of SARS-CoV-2.

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