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Dr. Gustavo Augusto Lacorte
Federal Institute of Minas Gerais - Bambui Campus

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0 Environmental Microbiology
0 Food Microbiology
0 Microbial Ecology
0 Molecular Biology
0 Sustainability

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Journal article
Published: 26 June 2021 in Conservation
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Cement factories are the main sources of environmental pollutants among the different industrial activities, including soil contamination by potentially toxic metals. The karst region of Southeastern Brazil is known for the implementation of large cement producing facilities. This study aims to evaluate whether there is an increase in the concentration of PTM in the soil surrounding the cement plants and to estimate their harmfulness to both local human population and environment. In total, 18 soil samples were collected from the surroundings of three cement plants as well as four soil samples from areas outside the influence of cement plants and concentration of the following potentially toxic metals (PTM) were estimated: Cd, Pb, Co, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Zn. The results revealed that all PTM concentrations from cement plant surroundings were significantly higher than PTM concentrations from control areas and no PTM concentrations from CPS or CA soil samples exceeded national and global contamination thresholds. However, Igeo Index indicated low level soil contamination by Pb, Cu, and Cr, as well as high levels for Co. We could not verify significant non-carcinogenic risk to health for any soil sample, but carcinogenic risk analysis revealed different levels of carcinogenic risk among the sampled locations, for both adults and children. Our results indicate that exclusively evaluating the concentration of potentially toxic metals is not enough to verify the potential harmful effects of cement production for the surrounding population. Here we evidence that additional indices, based on both contamination indices and health risk assessments, should be considered for better evaluation of the impacts of cement production activity.

ACS Style

Thiago Silva; Marcos Paula; Washington Silva; Gustavo Lacorte. Deposition of Potentially Toxic Metals in the Soil from Surrounding Cement Plants in a Karst Area of Southeastern Brazil. Conservation 2021, 1, 137 -150.

AMA Style

Thiago Silva, Marcos Paula, Washington Silva, Gustavo Lacorte. Deposition of Potentially Toxic Metals in the Soil from Surrounding Cement Plants in a Karst Area of Southeastern Brazil. Conservation. 2021; 1 (3):137-150.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thiago Silva; Marcos Paula; Washington Silva; Gustavo Lacorte. 2021. "Deposition of Potentially Toxic Metals in the Soil from Surrounding Cement Plants in a Karst Area of Southeastern Brazil." Conservation 1, no. 3: 137-150.

Preprint content
Published: 08 June 2021
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Events of soil contamination by heavy metals are mostly related to human activities that release these metals into the environment as emissions or effluents. Among the industrial activities related to heavy metal pollution, cement production plants are considered one of the most common sources. In this work we applied the HTS molecular approach called 16S rDNA metabarcoding to perform the taxonomic characterization of the prokaryotic communities of the soil surrounding three cement plants as well as two areas outside the influence of the cement plants that represented agricultural production environments free of heavy metal contamination (control areas). We applied the environmental genomics approaches known as “structural community metrics” (α- and β-diversity metrics) and “functional community metrics” (PICRUSt2 approach) to verify whether or not the effects of heavy metal contamination in the study area generated impacts on soil bacterial communities. We found that the impact related to the elevation of heavy metal concentration due to the operation of cement plants in the surrounding soil can be considered smooth according to globally recognized indices such as Igeo. However, we identified that both the taxonomic and functional structures of the communities surrounding cement plants were different from those found in the control areas. We consider that our findings contribute significantly to the general understanding of the effects of heavy metals on the soil ecosystem by showing that light contamination can disturb the dynamics of ecosystem services provided by soil, specifically those associated with microbial metabolism.

ACS Style

Thiago Augusto Costa Silva; Marcos de Paula; Washington Santos Silva; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Can Moderate Heavy Metal Soil Contaminations Due To Cement Production Influence The Surrounding Soil Bacterial Communities? 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Thiago Augusto Costa Silva, Marcos de Paula, Washington Santos Silva, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Can Moderate Heavy Metal Soil Contaminations Due To Cement Production Influence The Surrounding Soil Bacterial Communities? . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thiago Augusto Costa Silva; Marcos de Paula; Washington Santos Silva; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2021. "Can Moderate Heavy Metal Soil Contaminations Due To Cement Production Influence The Surrounding Soil Bacterial Communities?" , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 31 May 2021 in Conservation
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Sustainable use of freshwater resources for human civilization needs requires the assessment and monitoring of freshwater health, and bacterial communities from riverbed sediments have been shown to be susceptible to chronic anthropogenic disturbances in freshwater ecosystems. Here, we took advantage of the occurrence of well-recognized adjacent sections from the Upper São Francisco River basin with well-recognized levels of anthropogenic activity intensity to test the applicability of sediment bacterial communities as bioindicators of impacts on freshwater ecosystems. We applied 16S amplicon sequencing to estimate the diversity and composition of bacterial communities from 12 sampling sites across the Upper São Francisco River basin, classified as being of no, low, or high intensity of anthropogenic activities, and used diversity metrics and LEfSe to compare the patterns of community structure. Our results revealed that accessed sediment environments associated with land areas with a high intensity of anthropogenic activities presented the lowest levels of community diversity, and the bacterial community compositions of these environments were significantly different from the other sampled areas. Our findings can be considered a source of evidence for the usefulness of bacterial community-based approaches as a tool for diagnosis and monitoring of ecosystem health in areas of vulnerable freshwater environments, and can even be incorporated into regular water quality programs.

ACS Style

Marcos de Paula; Thiago Costa Silva; Amanda Araújo; Gustavo Lacorte. Assessments of Bacterial Community Shifts in Sediments along the Headwaters of São Francisco River, Brazil. Conservation 2021, 1, 91 -105.

AMA Style

Marcos de Paula, Thiago Costa Silva, Amanda Araújo, Gustavo Lacorte. Assessments of Bacterial Community Shifts in Sediments along the Headwaters of São Francisco River, Brazil. Conservation. 2021; 1 (2):91-105.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marcos de Paula; Thiago Costa Silva; Amanda Araújo; Gustavo Lacorte. 2021. "Assessments of Bacterial Community Shifts in Sediments along the Headwaters of São Francisco River, Brazil." Conservation 1, no. 2: 91-105.

Preprint content
Published: 14 May 2021
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Cement factories are the main sources of environmental pollutants among the different industrial activities, including soil contamination by potentially toxic metals and the Karst region of Southeastern Brazil is known for the implementation of large cement producing facilities. This study aims to evaluate whether there is an increase in the concentration of PTM in the soil surrounding the cement plants and to estimate their harmfulness to both local human population and environment. In total, 18 soil samples were collected from the surroundings of three cement plants as well as four soil samples from areas outside the influence of cement plants and concentration of the following potentially toxic metals (PTM) were estimated: Cd, Pb, Co, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Zn. The results revealed that all PTM concentrations from cement plant surroundings were significantly higher than PTM concentrations from control areas and no PTM concentrations from CPS or CA soil samples exceeded national and global contamination thresholds. However, Igeo Index indicated low level soil contamination by Pb, Cu and Cr and high levels for Co. We could not verify significant Non-carcinogenic risk to health for any soil sample, but carcinogenic risk analysis revealed different levels of carcinogenic risk among the sampled locations, for both adults and children. Our results indicate that exclusively evaluating the concentration of potentially toxic metals is not enough to verify the potential harmful effects of cement production for the surrounding population. Here we evidence that additional indices, based on both contamination indices and health risk assessments, should be considered for better evaluation of the impacts of cement production activity.

ACS Style

Thiago Augusto da Costa e Silva; Marcos de Paula; Washington Santos Silva; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Deposition of potentially toxic metals in the soil from surrounding cement plants in a karst area of Southeastern Brazil. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Thiago Augusto da Costa e Silva, Marcos de Paula, Washington Santos Silva, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Deposition of potentially toxic metals in the soil from surrounding cement plants in a karst area of Southeastern Brazil. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thiago Augusto da Costa e Silva; Marcos de Paula; Washington Santos Silva; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2021. "Deposition of potentially toxic metals in the soil from surrounding cement plants in a karst area of Southeastern Brazil." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 02 March 2021 in Research, Society and Development
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O ensino básico e técnico brasileiro é carente na aplicação de ferramentas educacionais alternativas para a obtenção de educação de excelência, que proporcione formação humana e cidadã. Dentre as várias alternativas lúdicas, se destaca a aplicação da técnica teatral, que oferece uma oportunidade para desinibição e desenvolvimento das virtudes como criatividade, resiliência, paciência, cooperação e proatividade. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o uso do teatro na disciplina de Zootecnia I, oferecida aos estudantes do primeiro ano do curso técnico em Agropecuária do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais - campus Bambuí e sua influência sobre o processo formativo. A metodologia foi aplicada para as turmas de 2017, 2018 e 2019 e avaliada através da aplicação de questionário eletrônico aos estudantes participantes, obtendo-se 34 respondentes. Considerando que a pontuação máxima da atividade era de 2,0 pontos, a nota média foi de 1,80 (90% do valor total), o que revela comprometimento dos estudantes com a proposta. Contudo, uma parcela considerável (40%) não compareceu à apresentação. De maneira geral, os estudantes avaliaram positivamente o teatro, principalmente no que se refere aos aspectos relacionados à timidez e concordaram que esta ferramenta foi importante para desenvolverem a criatividade, proatividade e cooperação. Assim, a metodologia do teatro pode ser um item significativo no processo de formação de sujeitos e proporcionar desenvolvimento de “soft skills”, demanda crescente na atual sociedade 4.0.

ACS Style

Adriano Geraldo; Luiz Carlos Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Uso do teatro como ferramenta de ensino no curso técnico em agropecuária: um estudo de caso. Research, Society and Development 2021, 10, 1 .

AMA Style

Adriano Geraldo, Luiz Carlos Machado, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Uso do teatro como ferramenta de ensino no curso técnico em agropecuária: um estudo de caso. Research, Society and Development. 2021; 10 (3):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adriano Geraldo; Luiz Carlos Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2021. "Uso do teatro como ferramenta de ensino no curso técnico em agropecuária: um estudo de caso." Research, Society and Development 10, no. 3: 1.

Journal article
Published: 27 April 2020 in Journal for Nature Conservation
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Coleocephalocereus purpureus (Buining & Brederoo) F. Ritter is a rare columnar cactus species endemic to four small habitat patches of a south-eastern caatinga inselberg elements located in Eastern Brazil. C. purpureus was listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN by habitat loss due to quarrying activities. Here, we used ten microsatellite markers to estimate genetic diversity and structure of C. purpureus populational groups to perform a remaining genetic diversity diagnosis and to define population boundaries. Our estimates of genetic diversity indicated that C. purpureus displayed moderated levels of genetic diversity, even though the species populational groups are small and fragmented. All genetic structuring approaches revealed that there is a clear differentiation in two populations isolated by the Jequitinhonha River, named here as South and North populations. The South population corresponds to a unique group placed in a disturbed non-protected area and the North population comprises three groups, including the admixtured and managed group placed in a Conservation Unit. As priority actions for the retention of genetic diversity of C. purpureus populations, we propose (i) that the isolated population should be considered as a prior for conservation efforts and managed as an independent unit; (ii) maintaining the integrity of the habitat within the four small patches that constitute the range of the species; (iii) continuous monitoring of genetic diversity of the populational groups; (iii) improve the quality of local pollinator habitats in order to avoid the inbreeding; and (iv) ex-situ conservation actions should be considered, especially the transfer of C. purpureus representatives to botanical gardens as well formation of a seed bank.

ACS Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga; Anderson Figueiredo de Carvalho; Cledson Jones Barbosa Ribeiro; Ricardo Souza Santana; Marlon Câmara Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Establishing population boundaries and conservation proposals for Coleocephalocereus purpureus, a critically endangered cactus species microendemic from Caatinga biome. Journal for Nature Conservation 2020, 55, 125823 .

AMA Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga, Anderson Figueiredo de Carvalho, Cledson Jones Barbosa Ribeiro, Ricardo Souza Santana, Marlon Câmara Machado, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Establishing population boundaries and conservation proposals for Coleocephalocereus purpureus, a critically endangered cactus species microendemic from Caatinga biome. Journal for Nature Conservation. 2020; 55 ():125823.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga; Anderson Figueiredo de Carvalho; Cledson Jones Barbosa Ribeiro; Ricardo Souza Santana; Marlon Câmara Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2020. "Establishing population boundaries and conservation proposals for Coleocephalocereus purpureus, a critically endangered cactus species microendemic from Caatinga biome." Journal for Nature Conservation 55, no. : 125823.

Short communication
Published: 09 December 2019 in Molecular Biology Reports
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Ten microsatellite loci were developed and validated for the endangered cactus species Coleocephalocereus purpureus. The markers were obtained from sequences generated by whole genome shotgun sequencing approaches. A testing group of 36 specimens of the main population were genotyped and all described markers presented suitable outcomes to population genetic studies, showing polymorphic status for C. purpureus testing group with clean and reproducible amplification. No evidence for scoring errors, null alleles or linkage disequilibrium was detected. Number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 6 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.78 to 0.99. These new microsatellite loci are suitable to be used in future diversity and structure population studies of C. purpureus.

ACS Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga; Anderson Figueiredo De Carvalho; Ricardo Souza Santana; Marlon Câmara Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Development of microsatellite markers for the threatened species Coleocephalocereus purpureus (Cactaceae) using next-generation sequencing. Molecular Biology Reports 2019, 47, 1485 -1489.

AMA Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga, Anderson Figueiredo De Carvalho, Ricardo Souza Santana, Marlon Câmara Machado, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Development of microsatellite markers for the threatened species Coleocephalocereus purpureus (Cactaceae) using next-generation sequencing. Molecular Biology Reports. 2019; 47 (2):1485-1489.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga; Anderson Figueiredo De Carvalho; Ricardo Souza Santana; Marlon Câmara Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2019. "Development of microsatellite markers for the threatened species Coleocephalocereus purpureus (Cactaceae) using next-generation sequencing." Molecular Biology Reports 47, no. 2: 1485-1489.

Preprint
Published: 12 November 2019
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Ten microsatellite loci were developed and validated for the endangered cactus species Coleocephalocereus purpureus. The markers were obtained from sequences generated by whole genome shotgun sequencing approaches. A testing group of 36 specimens of the main grouping were genotyped and all described markers presented suitable outcomes to population genetic studies, showing polymorphic status for C. purpureus testing group with clean and reproducible amplification. No evidence for scoring errors, null alleles or linkage disequilibrium was detected. Number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 6 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.78 to 0.99. These new microsatellite loci are suitable to be used in future diversity and structure population studies of C. purpureus.

ACS Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga; Anderson Figueiredo De Carvalho; Ricardo Souza Santana; Marlon Camara Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Development of microsatellite markers for the threatened species Coleocephalocereus purpureus (Cactaceae) using next-generation sequencing. 2019, 838870 .

AMA Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga, Anderson Figueiredo De Carvalho, Ricardo Souza Santana, Marlon Camara Machado, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Development of microsatellite markers for the threatened species Coleocephalocereus purpureus (Cactaceae) using next-generation sequencing. . 2019; ():838870.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daphne Amaral Fraga; Anderson Figueiredo De Carvalho; Ricardo Souza Santana; Marlon Camara Machado; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2019. "Development of microsatellite markers for the threatened species Coleocephalocereus purpureus (Cactaceae) using next-generation sequencing." , no. : 838870.

Food microbiology research paper
Published: 09 November 2019 in Brazilian Journal of Microbiology
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Brazil is the second largest ethanol producer in the world and largest using sugarcane feedstock. Bacteria contamination is one of the most important issues faced by ethanol producers that seek to increase production efficiency. Each step of production is a selection event due to the environmental and biological changes that occur. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of the selection arising from the ethanol production process on diversity and composition of bacteria. Our objectives were to test two hypotheses, (1) that species richness will decrease during the production process and (2) that lactic acid bacteria will become dominant with the advance of ethanol production. Bacterial community assemblage was accessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing from 19 sequential samples. Temperature is of great importance in shaping microbial communities. Species richness increased between the decanter and must steps of the process. Low Simpson index values were recorded at the fermentation step, indicating a high dominance of Lactobacillus. Interactions between Lactobacillus and yeast may be impairing the efficiency of industrial ethanol production.

ACS Style

Luciano Queiroz; Maria Silveira Costa; Alcilene De Abreu Pereira; Marcelo De Paula Avila; Patrícia Silva Costa; Andréa Maria Amaral Nascimento; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Dynamics of microbial contaminants is driven by selection during ethanol production. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 2019, 51, 303 -312.

AMA Style

Luciano Queiroz, Maria Silveira Costa, Alcilene De Abreu Pereira, Marcelo De Paula Avila, Patrícia Silva Costa, Andréa Maria Amaral Nascimento, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Dynamics of microbial contaminants is driven by selection during ethanol production. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology. 2019; 51 (1):303-312.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luciano Queiroz; Maria Silveira Costa; Alcilene De Abreu Pereira; Marcelo De Paula Avila; Patrícia Silva Costa; Andréa Maria Amaral Nascimento; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2019. "Dynamics of microbial contaminants is driven by selection during ethanol production." Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 51, no. 1: 303-312.

Research article
Published: 22 February 2019 in PLOS ONE
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We described the geographic distribution of 82 haemosporidian lineages (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) in the cattle egret sampled in five countries in central-western and southern Africa. Seventy-three lineages have not previously been reported. We determined the prevalence of three haemosporidians in the samples. We investigated the influence of the internal environment of the host and environmental variables on the Plasmodium diversity and whether environmental variables may explain spatial variations in the prevalence of Plasmodium. We screened DNA from 509 blood samples from nestlings in 15 African colonies for infection by sequencing the cytochrome b gene of parasites. The molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed using Bayesian methods and including sequences from the MalAvi and GeneBank databases. We found 62 new Plasmodium lineages in a clade with MYCAME02, which is a lineage described in waterbirds and recently identified in birds of prey as Plasmodium paranucleophilum. Two Haemoproteus lineages identified in cattle egret formed a distinct group with Haemoproteus catharti and MYCAMH1 (Haemoproteus spp.). Seven Leucocytozoon lineages found in the cattle egret clustered with Leucocytozoon californicus. We found different Plasmodium diversities among the colonies sampled, demonstrating that the internal environment of the host is not the primary determinant of diversity. A linear mixed-effects multivariate model showed that precipitation was positively associated with Plasmodium diversity when controlling for the effects of temperature, colony composition (mixed and non-mixed species) and country. Moreover, a generalized mixed model showed that temperature was positively associated with the prevalence of Plasmodium when controlling for precipitation, elevation and country. We conclude that the cattle egret is a good model for future haemosporidian studies, as we found a significant number of new lineages in this host, which occupies regions with different climate characteristics where environmental variables exert an influence on the diversity and prevalence of Plasmodium.

ACS Style

Cynthia M. Villar Couto; Graeme Cumming; Gustavo A. Lacorte; Carlos Congrains; Rafael Izbicki; Erika Martins Braga; Cristiano D. Rocha; Emmanuel Moralez-Silva; Dominic A. W. Henry; Shiiwua A. Manu; Jacinta Abalaka; Aissa Regalla; Alfredo Simão Da Silva; Moussa S. Diop; Silvia N. Del Lama. Avian haemosporidians in the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) from central-western and southern Africa: High diversity and prevalence. PLOS ONE 2019, 14, e0212425 .

AMA Style

Cynthia M. Villar Couto, Graeme Cumming, Gustavo A. Lacorte, Carlos Congrains, Rafael Izbicki, Erika Martins Braga, Cristiano D. Rocha, Emmanuel Moralez-Silva, Dominic A. W. Henry, Shiiwua A. Manu, Jacinta Abalaka, Aissa Regalla, Alfredo Simão Da Silva, Moussa S. Diop, Silvia N. Del Lama. Avian haemosporidians in the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) from central-western and southern Africa: High diversity and prevalence. PLOS ONE. 2019; 14 (2):e0212425.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cynthia M. Villar Couto; Graeme Cumming; Gustavo A. Lacorte; Carlos Congrains; Rafael Izbicki; Erika Martins Braga; Cristiano D. Rocha; Emmanuel Moralez-Silva; Dominic A. W. Henry; Shiiwua A. Manu; Jacinta Abalaka; Aissa Regalla; Alfredo Simão Da Silva; Moussa S. Diop; Silvia N. Del Lama. 2019. "Avian haemosporidians in the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) from central-western and southern Africa: High diversity and prevalence." PLOS ONE 14, no. 2: e0212425.

Preprint
Published: 10 December 2018
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Brazil is the second largest ethanol producer in the World and largest using sugarcane feedstock. Bacteria contamination is one the most important issues faced by ethanol producers that seek to increase production efficiency. Each step of production is a selection event due to the environmental and biological changes that occur. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of the selection arising from the ethanol production process on diversity and composition of Bacteria. Our objectives were to test two hypothesis, (1) that species richness will decrease during the production process and (2) that Lactic Acid Bacteria will become dominant with the advance of ethanol production due to selection. Bacterial community assemblage was accessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing from 19 sequential samples. Temperature is of great importance in shaping microbial communities. Species richness increased between the Decanter and Must steps of the process. Low Simpson index values were recorded at the fermentation step, indicating a high dominance ofLactobacillus. Interactions betweenLactobacillusand yeast may be impairing the efficiency of industrial ethanol production.

ACS Style

Luciano Lopes Queiroz; Maria Silveira Costa; Alcilene De Abreu Pereira; Marcelo De Paula Avila; Patricia Silva Costa; Andrea Maria Amaral Nascimento; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Dynamics of microbial contaminants is driven by selection during ethanol production. 2018, 489500 .

AMA Style

Luciano Lopes Queiroz, Maria Silveira Costa, Alcilene De Abreu Pereira, Marcelo De Paula Avila, Patricia Silva Costa, Andrea Maria Amaral Nascimento, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. Dynamics of microbial contaminants is driven by selection during ethanol production. . 2018; ():489500.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luciano Lopes Queiroz; Maria Silveira Costa; Alcilene De Abreu Pereira; Marcelo De Paula Avila; Patricia Silva Costa; Andrea Maria Amaral Nascimento; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte. 2018. "Dynamics of microbial contaminants is driven by selection during ethanol production." , no. : 489500.

Research
Published: 02 May 2018 in Parasites & Vectors
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Wetlands are ecosystems in which vectors of avian haemosporidians live and reproduce and where waterbirds join to breed in colonies. Brazil has wetlands at different latitudes, which enables testing the influence of the ecological factors on the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians. We identified avian haemosporidians in waterbird species in three wetlands and investigated the effects of vector habitat suitability, landscape and host characteristics on the diversity and prevalence of these parasites. We created a map with the probability of occurrence of avian haemosporidian vectors using maximum-entropy modelling based on references addressing species known to be vectors of haemosporidians in birds in Brazil. We determined the prevalence and diversity index of haemosporidians in the great egret (Ardea alba) (n = 129) and roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) (n = 180) and compared the findings to data for the wood stork (Mycteria americana) (n = 199). We report the first record of Plasmodium in the family Threskiornithidae: four lineages in the roseate spoonbill, which also presented one lineage of Haemoproteus. In the family Ardeidae, we found three Plasmodium lineages in the great egret. The similar habitat suitability for vectors found in three wetlands explains the pattern of haemosporidian diversity determined for great egret and wood stork populations. Comparisons of haemosporidian diversity within each waterbird species and between regions showed a higher level in the central-western roseate spoonbill population than in the northern population (P = 0.021). Removing the host effect, we discussed the results obtained in terms of characteristics of the Pantanal region. Comparisons of Plasmodium spp. prevalence among waterbird species within the same wetland showed higher level in roseate spoonbill (74%) than those found in the great egret (21%) and wood stork (11%). Excluding the environmental effect, we interpreted result focusing host characteristics that favour infection: time required for nestlings to be covered by feathers and migratory behaviour. The map of habitat suitability showed that wetlands located in a 30° latitudinal range offer similar conditions for avian vectors species and diversity of haemosporidians. The lineages described in waterbirds were previously identified in birds of prey as Plasmodium paranucleophilum.

ACS Style

Samira Chahad-Ehlers; Angela Terumi Fushita; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Pamela Carla Pereira de Assis; Silvia Nassif Del Lama. Effects of habitat suitability for vectors, environmental factors and host characteristics on the spatial distribution of the diversity and prevalence of haemosporidians in waterbirds from three Brazilian wetlands. Parasites & Vectors 2018, 11, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Samira Chahad-Ehlers, Angela Terumi Fushita, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, Pamela Carla Pereira de Assis, Silvia Nassif Del Lama. Effects of habitat suitability for vectors, environmental factors and host characteristics on the spatial distribution of the diversity and prevalence of haemosporidians in waterbirds from three Brazilian wetlands. Parasites & Vectors. 2018; 11 (1):1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samira Chahad-Ehlers; Angela Terumi Fushita; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Pamela Carla Pereira de Assis; Silvia Nassif Del Lama. 2018. "Effects of habitat suitability for vectors, environmental factors and host characteristics on the spatial distribution of the diversity and prevalence of haemosporidians in waterbirds from three Brazilian wetlands." Parasites & Vectors 11, no. 1: 1-12.

Journal article
Published: 12 May 2017 in Ecography
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Identifying the mechanisms driving the distribution and diversity of parasitic organisms and characterizing the structure of parasite assemblages are critical to understanding host–parasite evolution, community dynamics, and disease transmission risk. Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are a diverse and cosmopolitan group of bird pathogens. Despite their global distribution, the ecological and historical factors shaping the diversity and distribution of these protozoan parasites across avian communities and geographic regions remain unclear. Here we used a region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to characterize the diversity, biogeographical patterns, and phylogenetic relationships of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus infecting Amazonian birds. Specifically, we asked whether, and how, host community similarity and geography (latitude and area of endemism) structure parasite assemblages across 15 avian communities in the Amazon Basin. We identified 265 lineages of haemosporidians recovered from 2661 sampled birds from 330 species. Infection prevalence varied widely among host species, avian communities, areas of endemism, and latitude. Composition analysis demonstrated that both malarial parasites and host communities differed across areas of endemism and as a function of latitude. Thus, areas with similar avian community composition were similar in their parasite communities. Our analyses, within a regional biogeographic context, imply that host switching is the main event promoting diversification in malarial parasites. Although dispersal of haemosporidian parasites was constrained across six areas of endemism, these pathogens are not dispersal-limited among communities within the same area of endemism. Our findings indicate that the distribution of malarial parasites in Amazonian birds is largely dependent on local ecological conditions and host evolutionary relationships.

ACS Style

A. Fecchio; Rafael Pinheiro; G. Felix; Izeni Farias; J. B. Pinho; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; E. M. Braga; Alexandre Aleixo; V. V. Tkach; M. D. Collins; J. A. Bell; Jason Weckstein; Jeffrey A. Bell. Host community similarity and geography shape the diversity and distribution of haemosporidian parasites in Amazonian birds. Ecography 2017, 41, 505 -515.

AMA Style

A. Fecchio, Rafael Pinheiro, G. Felix, Izeni Farias, J. B. Pinho, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, E. M. Braga, Alexandre Aleixo, V. V. Tkach, M. D. Collins, J. A. Bell, Jason Weckstein, Jeffrey A. Bell. Host community similarity and geography shape the diversity and distribution of haemosporidian parasites in Amazonian birds. Ecography. 2017; 41 (3):505-515.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Fecchio; Rafael Pinheiro; G. Felix; Izeni Farias; J. B. Pinho; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; E. M. Braga; Alexandre Aleixo; V. V. Tkach; M. D. Collins; J. A. Bell; Jason Weckstein; Jeffrey A. Bell. 2017. "Host community similarity and geography shape the diversity and distribution of haemosporidian parasites in Amazonian birds." Ecography 41, no. 3: 505-515.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2016 in International Journal for Parasitology
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One of the unresolved issues in the ecology of parasites is the relationship between host specificity and performance. Previous studies tested this relationship in different systems and obtained all possible outcomes. This led to the proposal of two hypotheses to explain conflicting results: the trade-off and resource breadth hypotheses, which are treated as mutually exclusive in the literature and were corroborated by different studies. In the present study, we used an extensive database on avian malaria from Brazil and combined analyses based on specificity indices and network theory, in order to test which of those hypotheses might best explain our model system. Contrary to our expectations, there was no correlation between specificity and prevalence, which contradicts both hypotheses. In addition, we detected a strong modular structure in our host-parasite network and found that its modules were not composed of geographically close, but of phylogenetically close, host species. Based on our results, we reached the conclusion that trade-off and resource breadth hypotheses are not really mutually exclusive. As a conceptual solution we propose "The Integrative Hypothesis of Parasite Specialization", a novel theoretical model that explains the contradictory results found in our study and reported to date in the literature.

ACS Style

Rafael B.P. Pinheiro; Gabriel M.F. Félix; Anderson V. Chaves; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Fabricio R Santos; Érika M. Braga; Marco A.R. Mello. Trade-offs and resource breadth processes as drivers of performance and specificity in a host–parasite system: a new integrative hypothesis. International Journal for Parasitology 2016, 46, 115 -121.

AMA Style

Rafael B.P. Pinheiro, Gabriel M.F. Félix, Anderson V. Chaves, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, Fabricio R Santos, Érika M. Braga, Marco A.R. Mello. Trade-offs and resource breadth processes as drivers of performance and specificity in a host–parasite system: a new integrative hypothesis. International Journal for Parasitology. 2016; 46 (2):115-121.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rafael B.P. Pinheiro; Gabriel M.F. Félix; Anderson V. Chaves; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Fabricio R Santos; Érika M. Braga; Marco A.R. Mello. 2016. "Trade-offs and resource breadth processes as drivers of performance and specificity in a host–parasite system: a new integrative hypothesis." International Journal for Parasitology 46, no. 2: 115-121.

Research articles
Published: 11 December 2014 in Systematics and Biodiversity
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In recent years, a high number of endemic species might have gone extinct silently in the Brazilian savannah (=Cerrado), a biodiversity hotspot, as researchers are not able to describe them as fast as their natural habitats are being destroyed. This especially holds true for onychophorans, or velvet worms, which include many point endemic species and, in this biome, only occur in small gallery forests susceptible to disturbances. In the present work, we use a combined morphological and molecular approach to describe a relict and critically endangered onychophoran species from the Cerrado. Our morphological analyses using light and scanning electron microscopy revealed novel characters and character states for Peripatidae, such as six interpedal structures per segment, modified scales on the genital and posterior body region of females and a third class of dermal papillae, herein named peripheral accessory papillae. Since Cerradopatus sucuriuensis gen. et sp. nov. showed a unique set of morphological characters and could not be assigned to any described genus of Peripatidae, a new genus is raised for this species herein. In addition to morphological data, the new taxon is supported by karyotypic, slime protein profiling and molecular data, including sequences of the mitochondrial genes COI and 12S rRNA. Unfortunately, Cerradopatus sucuriuensis gen. et sp. nov. is prone to an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, as it only occurs in specific humid patches within three small, unprotected fragments of forest that are being progressively affected by human activities. According to the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, this species is classified as Critically Endangered and requires urgent conservation efforts. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:10D0762E-7842-428B-8ABB-9096BED10F65

ACS Style

Ivo Oliveira; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Andreas Weck-Heimann; Lívia M. Cordeiro; Alfredo H. Wieloch; Georg Mayer. A new and critically endangered species and genus of Onychophora (Peripatidae) from the Brazilian savannah – a vulnerable biodiversity hotspot. Systematics and Biodiversity 2014, 13, 211 -233.

AMA Style

Ivo Oliveira, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, Andreas Weck-Heimann, Lívia M. Cordeiro, Alfredo H. Wieloch, Georg Mayer. A new and critically endangered species and genus of Onychophora (Peripatidae) from the Brazilian savannah – a vulnerable biodiversity hotspot. Systematics and Biodiversity. 2014; 13 (3):211-233.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ivo Oliveira; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Andreas Weck-Heimann; Lívia M. Cordeiro; Alfredo H. Wieloch; Georg Mayer. 2014. "A new and critically endangered species and genus of Onychophora (Peripatidae) from the Brazilian savannah – a vulnerable biodiversity hotspot." Systematics and Biodiversity 13, no. 3: 211-233.

Journal article
Published: 19 August 2013 in Parasitology
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SUMMARYThe pathogensPlasmodium juxtanucleareand chicken anaemia virus (CAV) are easily transmitted and potentially harmful to chickens. In this study, we established an experimental model to investigate the effects of avian malaria caused byP. juxtanuclearein white leghorn specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicks previously immunosuppressed with CAV. Parasitaemia, haematological variables and clinical and pathological parameters were determined in four different experimental groups: chicks coinfected by CAV andP. juxtanuclearestrain (Coinfected group), chicks exclusively infected by CAV (CAV group) orP. juxtanucleare(Malaria group) and uninfected chicks (Control group). Our data demonstrated thatP. juxtanucleareparasitaemia was significantly higher in the Coinfected group. Furthermore, haematological parameters, including the RBC, haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration were significantly reduced in coinfected chicks. In agreement with the changes observed in haematological features, the mortality among coinfected chicks was higher compared with animals with single infections. Clinical analysis indicated moderate changes related to different organs size (bursa of Fabricius, heart and liver) in coinfected birds. The experimental coinfection of SPF chickens withP. juxtanucleareand CAV may represent a research tool for the study of avian malaria after CAV immunosuppression, enabling measurement of the impacts caused by different pathogens during malarial infection.

ACS Style

Patrícia Silveira; Sandra Y. G. Marin; Patrícia A. Moreira; Bárbara B. Tocantins; Gustavo Lacorte; Tatiane A. Paixão; Nelson R. S. Martins; Érika M. Braga. Interactions ofPlasmodium juxtanucleareand chicken anaemia virus: establishing a model. Parasitology 2013, 140, 1777 -1788.

AMA Style

Patrícia Silveira, Sandra Y. G. Marin, Patrícia A. Moreira, Bárbara B. Tocantins, Gustavo Lacorte, Tatiane A. Paixão, Nelson R. S. Martins, Érika M. Braga. Interactions ofPlasmodium juxtanucleareand chicken anaemia virus: establishing a model. Parasitology. 2013; 140 (14):1777-1788.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Patrícia Silveira; Sandra Y. G. Marin; Patrícia A. Moreira; Bárbara B. Tocantins; Gustavo Lacorte; Tatiane A. Paixão; Nelson R. S. Martins; Érika M. Braga. 2013. "Interactions ofPlasmodium juxtanucleareand chicken anaemia virus: establishing a model." Parasitology 140, no. 14: 1777-1788.

Case reports
Published: 30 April 2013 in Parasitology International
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This study is the first report on mortality of Spheniscus magellanicus, penguin of South America, caused by Plasmodium tejerai, which was identified using morphological and molecular analyses. Blood stages (trophozoites, meronts and gametocytes) were reported and illustrated. The necropsy revealed marked splenomegaly and pulmonary edema, as well as moderate hepatomegaly and hydropericardium. The histopathology revealed the presence of tissue meronts in the macrophages and endothelial cells of multiple organs. The molecular analyses showed 5.6% of genetic divergence in cytochrome b gene between P. tejerai and Plasmodium relictum. Morphology of blood and tissue stages of P. tejerai is similar to P. relictum; the distinction between these two species requires experience in the identification of avian Plasmodium species. Molecular studies associated with reliably identified morphological species are useful for barcoding and comparisons with previous studies of wildlife malaria infections as well as for posterior phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies. S. magellanicus is a new host record of P. tejerai, which is the virulent parasite and worth more attention in avian conservation and veterinary medicine projects in South America.

ACS Style

Patricia Silveira; Nayara O. Belo; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Cristiane K.M. Kolesnikovas; Ralph E.T. Vanstreels; Mario Steindel; José Luiz Catão-Dias; Gediminas Valkiūnas; Érika M. Braga. Parasitological and new molecular-phylogenetic characterization of the malaria parasite Plasmodium tejerai in South American penguins. Parasitology International 2013, 62, 165 -171.

AMA Style

Patricia Silveira, Nayara O. Belo, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, Cristiane K.M. Kolesnikovas, Ralph E.T. Vanstreels, Mario Steindel, José Luiz Catão-Dias, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Érika M. Braga. Parasitological and new molecular-phylogenetic characterization of the malaria parasite Plasmodium tejerai in South American penguins. Parasitology International. 2013; 62 (2):165-171.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Patricia Silveira; Nayara O. Belo; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Cristiane K.M. Kolesnikovas; Ralph E.T. Vanstreels; Mario Steindel; José Luiz Catão-Dias; Gediminas Valkiūnas; Érika M. Braga. 2013. "Parasitological and new molecular-phylogenetic characterization of the malaria parasite Plasmodium tejerai in South American penguins." Parasitology International 62, no. 2: 165-171.

Research article
Published: 01 March 2013 in PLoS ONE
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Southeast Brazil is a neotropical region composed of a mosaic of different tropical habitats and mountain chains, which allowed for the formation of bird-rich communities with distinct ecological niches. Although this region has the potential to harbor a remarkable variety of avian parasites, there is a lack of information about the diversity of malarial parasites. We used molecular approaches to characterize the lineage diversity of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus in bird communities from three different habitats in southeast Brazil based on the prevalence, richness and composition of lineages. We observed an overall prevalence of 35.3%, with a local prevalence ranging from 17.2% to 54.8%. Moreover, no significant association between prevalence and habitat type could be verified (p>0.05). We identified 89 Plasmodium and 22 Haemoproteus lineages, with 86% of them described for the first time here, including an unusual infection of a non-columbiform host by a Haemoproteus (Haemoproteus) parasite. The composition analyses of the parasite communities showed that the lineage composition from Brazilian savannah and tropical dry forest was similar, but it was different from the lineage composition of Atlantic rainforest, reflecting the greater likeness of the former habitats with respect to seasonality and forest density. No significant effects of habitat type on lineage richness were observed based on GLM analyses. We also found that sites whose samples had a greater diversity of bird species showed a greater diversity of parasite lineages, providing evidence that areas with high bird richness also have high parasite richness. Our findings point to the importance of the neotropical region (southeast Brazil) as a major reservoir of new haemosporidian lineages.

ACS Style

Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Gabriel M. F. Félix; Rafael Pinheiro; Anderson Chaves; Gilberto Almeida-Neto; Frederico Neves; Lemuel O. Leite; Fabricio R Santos; Érika M. Braga. Exploring the Diversity and Distribution of Neotropical Avian Malaria Parasites – A Molecular Survey from Southeast Brazil. PLoS ONE 2013, 8, e57770 .

AMA Style

Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, Gabriel M. F. Félix, Rafael Pinheiro, Anderson Chaves, Gilberto Almeida-Neto, Frederico Neves, Lemuel O. Leite, Fabricio R Santos, Érika M. Braga. Exploring the Diversity and Distribution of Neotropical Avian Malaria Parasites – A Molecular Survey from Southeast Brazil. PLoS ONE. 2013; 8 (3):e57770.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Gabriel M. F. Félix; Rafael Pinheiro; Anderson Chaves; Gilberto Almeida-Neto; Frederico Neves; Lemuel O. Leite; Fabricio R Santos; Érika M. Braga. 2013. "Exploring the Diversity and Distribution of Neotropical Avian Malaria Parasites – A Molecular Survey from Southeast Brazil." PLoS ONE 8, no. 3: e57770.

Journal article
Published: 26 February 2013 in PeerJ
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Infectious diseases can cause deleterious effects on bird species, leading to population decline and extinction. Haemosporidia can be recognized by their negative effects on host fitness, including reproductive success and immune responses. In captivity, outbreaks of haemosporidian infection have been observed in birds in zoos and aviaries. The endemic Brazilian Atlantic rainforest species Aburria jacutinga is one of the most endangered species in the Cracidae family, and wild populations of this species are currently found mainly in conservation areas in only two Brazilian states. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of avian haemosporidia on hematological and biochemical parameters in two captive populations of A. jacutinga. Forty-two animals were assessed, and the haemosporidian prevalence was similar for males and females. The occurrence of haemosporidian infection in captive A. jacutinga observed in this study was similar to results found in other captive and wild birds in Brazil. We found three different lineages of haemosporidia. Two lineages were identified as Plasmodium sp., one of which was previously detected in Europe and Asia, and the other is a new lineage closely related to P. gallinaceum. A new third lineage was identified as Haemoproteus sp. We found no significant differences in hematological and biochemical values between infected and non-infected birds, and the haemosporidian lineage did not seem to have an impact on the clinical and physiological parameters of A. jacutinga. This is the first report on an evaluation of natural haemosporidian infections diagnosed by microscopic and molecular methods in A. jacutinga by hematology, blood biochemistry, and serum protein values. Determining physiological parameters, occurrence and an estimation of the impact of haemosporidia in endangered avian species may contribute to the management of species rehabilitation and conservation.

ACS Style

Rafael Otávio Cançado Motta; Marcus Vinícius Romero Marques; Francisco Carlos Ferreira Junior; Danielle De Assis Andery; Rodrigo Santos Horta; Renata Barbosa Peixoto; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Patrícia De Abreu Moreira; Fabíola De Oliveira Paes Leme; Marília Martins Melo; Nelson Rodrigo Da Silva Martins; Érika Martins Braga; Jessica Kissinger. Does haemosporidian infection affect hematological and biochemical profiles of the endangered Black-fronted piping-guan (Aburria jacutinga)? PeerJ 2013, 1, e45 .

AMA Style

Rafael Otávio Cançado Motta, Marcus Vinícius Romero Marques, Francisco Carlos Ferreira Junior, Danielle De Assis Andery, Rodrigo Santos Horta, Renata Barbosa Peixoto, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, Patrícia De Abreu Moreira, Fabíola De Oliveira Paes Leme, Marília Martins Melo, Nelson Rodrigo Da Silva Martins, Érika Martins Braga, Jessica Kissinger. Does haemosporidian infection affect hematological and biochemical profiles of the endangered Black-fronted piping-guan (Aburria jacutinga)? PeerJ. 2013; 1 ():e45.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rafael Otávio Cançado Motta; Marcus Vinícius Romero Marques; Francisco Carlos Ferreira Junior; Danielle De Assis Andery; Rodrigo Santos Horta; Renata Barbosa Peixoto; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; Patrícia De Abreu Moreira; Fabíola De Oliveira Paes Leme; Marília Martins Melo; Nelson Rodrigo Da Silva Martins; Érika Martins Braga; Jessica Kissinger. 2013. "Does haemosporidian infection affect hematological and biochemical profiles of the endangered Black-fronted piping-guan (Aburria jacutinga)?" PeerJ 1, no. : e45.

Original paper
Published: 22 February 2013 in Parasitology Research
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Ticks consume resources from their hosts shaping their life-history traits and are vectors of many zoonotic pathogens. Several studies have focused on the health effects of blood-sucking ectoparasites on avian hosts, but there is limited information on the effects of ticks on adult and sub-adult birds, which may actively avoid ticks and are likely to present low infestation intensities. We evaluated the effects of the presence of feeding ticks and intensity of infestation on health variables of avian hosts. We also evaluated whether these variables were affected by tick infection by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and by the presence of Borrelia infection on the birds’ skin. Presence of parasite association among ticks, haemosporidea and Borrelia within the bird-host was also tested. We found that infestation by ticks significantly increased heterophyl/lymphocyte ratio in Turdus merula suggesting increased stress. This was especially evident at high infestation intensities when a significant decrease in body mass and body condition (body mass corrected for size) was also observed. Erithacus rubecula infested with more than 10 larvae tended to have lower haematocrit and blood haemoglobin. Plasma globulin concentration in T. merula tended to be affected by the presence of attached ticks and their infection with Borrelia, but this depended on the age of the bird. No association was detected among ticks, haemosporidea and Borrelia infection. We showed that ticks have detrimental effects on their avian hosts even under natural infestation conditions and that confirmed Borrelia reservoir hosts may also present symptoms of infection, though these may be subtle.

ACS Style

A. C. Norte; D. N. C. Lobato; Erika Braga; Yasmine Antonini; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; M. Gonçalves; Isabel Lopes de Carvalho; L. Gern; Maria Sofia Núncio; Jaime Ramos. Do ticks and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. constitute a burden to birds? Parasitology Research 2013, 112, 1903 -1912.

AMA Style

A. C. Norte, D. N. C. Lobato, Erika Braga, Yasmine Antonini, Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, M. Gonçalves, Isabel Lopes de Carvalho, L. Gern, Maria Sofia Núncio, Jaime Ramos. Do ticks and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. constitute a burden to birds? Parasitology Research. 2013; 112 (5):1903-1912.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. C. Norte; D. N. C. Lobato; Erika Braga; Yasmine Antonini; Gustavo Augusto Lacorte; M. Gonçalves; Isabel Lopes de Carvalho; L. Gern; Maria Sofia Núncio; Jaime Ramos. 2013. "Do ticks and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. constitute a burden to birds?" Parasitology Research 112, no. 5: 1903-1912.