ABSTRACT The hairy-tailed bolo mouse, Necromys lasiurus (Lund, 1841), which is typical of the Cerrado (CE), has been recorded in some open areas within the Atlantic Forest (AF) domain of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ). In the CE, N. lasiurus is a known reservoir of zoonotic agents, and is the reservoir of an orthohantavirus genotype, Araraquara virus (ARAV), the etiological agent of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Given this, the presence of N. lasiurus has potentially negative implications for public health in the state, and therefore it is important to elucidate the origin of its populations in RJ and their connections with populations outside the AF known to carry the ARAV. In the present study we combined phylogenetic and phylogeographic approaches to elucidate the evolutionary history of N. lasiurus populations in RJ, and to test if their dispersal into the AF domain is recent or ancient. These analyses were based on sequences of the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene, obtained from N. lasiurus specimens from the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro (AF-RJ), together with all the sequences of this gene available for N. lasiurus in GenBank. In addition to the phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses, the sequences were used to test among five hypothetical demographic scenarios, proposed to explain the evolutionary history of the hairy-tailed bolo mouse in the state of RJ. The results of all the analyses indicated that populations from AF and the Arid Diagonal (AD) of South America, which includes the CE, diverged in the Late Pleistocene but reconnected in the Holocene. The RJ population (AF-RJ) resulted from this recent genetic admixture among diverging populations from AF and AD. Despite the recent reconnection, no evidence has been found that the AF-RJ N. lasiurus population acts as a reservoir of ARAV, although the continued genetic connectivity with those from AD highlight the need to reinforce the public health monitoring of orthohantavirus in this rodent, especially given the potential spillover of other genotypes. Overall, then, the results of the present study provide important new insights into the evolutionary history of N. lasiurus, which should contribute to the surveillance of orthohantaviruses, and the development of more effective measures for the prevention and control of this zoonosis. hairytailed hairy tailed Lund, Lund (Lund 1841, 1841 , 1841) CE (CE) (AF . (RJ) N agents genotype ARAV (ARAV) HPS. HPS (HPS) ancient AFRJ, AFRJ GenBank scenarios (AD America Holocene (AF-RJ reconnection rodent genotypes Overall then orthohantaviruses zoonosis 184 (CE (RJ (ARAV (HPS 18 1

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The Amazon tropical rainforest has the most dense and diverse ecosystem worldwide. A few studies have addressed rodent-borne diseases as potential hazards to humans in this region. METHODS: A retrospective survey was conducted using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting mammarenavirus and orthohantavirus antibodies in 206 samples collected from rural settlers of the Brazilian Western Amazonian region. RESULTS: Six (2.91%) individuals in the age group of 16 to 36 years were found to possess antibodies against mammarenavirus. CONCLUSION: Evidence of previous exposure to mammarenavirus in the rural population points to its silent circulation in this region.

ABSTRACT During the Brazilian slavery period, many African migrants were brought to the American continent. Historically, some of these migrants escaped from the Brazilian gold mines and farms to which they had been brought and settled in remote valleys and this was the main mode of resistance to the slavery system. These runaway-slave descendant communities are called quilombos, a group with distinct ethnic identity, specific behavioral habits, including geographic isolation and conservative practices. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of rodent-borne viruses in two Afro-descendent communities from Mato Grosso do Sul State, Midwestern Brazil. A total of 319 individuals from rural and urban quilombola communities were enrolled. Twelve (3.76%) had anti-rodent-borne virus IgG antibodies. Seven (2.19%) were anti-mammarenavirus reactive and nine (2.82%) had anti-orthohantavirus antibodies. The literature includes limited data on the health status of quilombola communities, but all the studies emphasize the disparity of attention of local healthcare personnel to these communities compared to the general population. The findings of this study highlight the vulnerability and the precarious health conditions of quilombola groups, especially those living in rural areas and thus, point to the need of preventive measures to improve access to healthcare for this ethnic group.

ABSTRACT Many snail species act as intermediate hosts of helminths that transmit diseases to humans and animals, such as schistosomiasis and angiostrongyliasis. São Gonçalo, a mostly urban municipality in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, has undergone fundamental environmental impacts, which favor the establishment of a range of diseases, for which snails act as the intermediate hosts of the etiological agents. In the present study, freshwater and terrestrial snail populations were surveyed in different environments within five city districts, and the presence of helminths was determined in the collected specimens. A total of 287 individuals were collected, six species from freshwater environment, Pomacea sp. (Ampullariidae), Melanoides tuberculata (Thiaridae), Biomphalaria tenagophila (Planorbidae), Dysopeas muibum (Subulinidae), Physa marmorata, and Physa acuta (Physidae), and two from terrestrial environment, Achatina fulica (Achatinidae) and Bradybaena similaris (Bradybaenidae). Snails were found in only two districts, Centro, an urban area, and Ipiiba, a rural area. Thirteen percent of the specimens of A. fulica eliminated larvae of the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis. None of the analyzed freshwater snails contained helminths.The most abundant and frequent snails were B. tenagophila, M. tuberculataand A. fulica, and the latter two species are exotic. The disturbance and degradation of natural areas adjacent to residential zones favor the proliferation of helminths, jeopardizing the local residents health. The abundance of A. fulica and B. tenagophila in the study area reinforces the need for a continuous and systematic monitoring of the snail fauna in this region.

We characterised hantaviruses circulating in different Akodon rodent species collected in midwestern Santa Catarina (SC), southern Brazil, where the Jabora hantavirus (JABV) strain was first identified in Akodon montensis. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses based on a partial S segment indicated that, in SC, Akodon paranaensis and A. montensis carried the same type of hantavirus. Additionally, we conducted the first genomic characterisation of the complete S segment from the Brazilian JABV strain. This is the first report of A. paranaensis infected with the JABV.

South American histricognath rodents Thrichomys apereoides laurentius and Thrichomys pachyurus are natural hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi, agent of Chagas disease. We established breeding colonies of these species to serve as experimental models in various parasitological studies. Both species of Thrichomys have all the requirements necessary to become excellent laboratory models: they can be easily maintained in the standard laboratory conditions and breed throughout the year and they do not have any special dietary demands and can be fed by standard food pellets designed for laboratory mice. Both species produce precocious offspring that have their eyes and ears open, teeth erupted, fur well developed, and can eat solid food in the first week of life. T. a. laurentius has larger litter sizes and lower body masses at birth and weaning than T. pachyurus. Moreover, females of T. a. laurentius reach puberty earlier and with lower body mass than T. pachyurus.