Non-human primates as indicators of Kinetoplastida diversity in an urban environment at Midwest Brazil

Oscar Fernandes Júnior ^1,2 Ana Maria Jansen ³ Gabriel Carvalho Macedo ³ Wesley Arruda Gimenes Nantes ¹ Filipe Martins Santos ^1,2 Nayara Yoshie Sano ^1,2 Wanessa Barreto ⁴ William Oliveira De Assis ¹ Sany Caroline Liberal ¹ Samanta Cristina Das Chagas Xavier ³ Fernanda Moreira Alves ³ Maria Augusta Dario ³ Carina Elisei Oliveira ^1,5 André Luiz Rodrigues Roque ^3* Heitor Miraglia Herrera ^1,4,5

• ¹ Post-Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences and Agricultural Sustainability, Dom Bosco Catholic University, Campo Grande, Brazil, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
• ² Post-Graduate Program in Microbiology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• ³ Laboratory of Trypanosomatid Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Brazil
• ⁴ Post-Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
• ⁵ Post-Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Dom Bosco Catholic University, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Trypanosomatids are parasites widely distributed in nature, parasitizing several host species in single or co-infections. Campo Grande (CG), capital of Mato Grosso do Sul State, is characterized by several green areas and forest fragments where wild mammals have been reported infected by diverse trypanosomatid species. In this study, we evaluated the parasitism by trypanosomatids in the non-human primates (NHP) Sapajus cay and Alouatta caraya sampled in three different areas of CG. For the detection of infections and identification of trypanosomatid species, we made hemoculture, blood smears, molecular and serological tests. We detected trypanosomatids in 37/55 (67.3%) of sampled animals, all by the molecular test. DNA sequencing analyzes were performed on 32 samples, resulting in the following species identification: Trypanosoma cruzi, T. minasense, T. rangeli, Leishmania (L.) infantum and L. (L.) amazonensis (species already recorded in primates in Latin America), and for the first time T. lainsoni, a parasite related to small mammals, and Trypanosoma sp. DID, originally reported in marsupials Didelphis sp. The detection of trypanosomatids of public health importance as L. infantum, L. amazonensis and T. cruzi (genotypes TcI, TcII/TcVI and TcIV) indicates the enzootic character of these species in the studied area. Also, the presence of T. cruzi TcIV and T. minasense in the conservation area supports previous studies that these parasites would be associated with the arboreal stratum. We conclude that (i) the NHP at CG participate in a complex reservoir system for parasites of great importance for Public Health in the studied area, such as L. infantum, L. amazonensis and T. cruzi, and (ii) there is a great diversity of trypanosomatids circulating in the urban area of this city located in the Brazilian Midwest.