New records of Histoplasma capsulatum from wild animals in the Brazilian Amazon Novos registros de Histoplasma capsulatum em animais silvestres na Amazônia brasileira

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Roberto Daibes Naiff, Toby Vincent Barrett, Maricleide de Farias Naiff, Luiz Carlos de Lima Ferreira, Jorge Ramon Arias
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 1996
• Subjects: Enzootic histoplasmosis; Sex-related prevalence; Amazon Basin; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Alta; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46651996000400006; https://doaj.org/article/a1d1b1e28e0d4ab1b2fb66582be822b4

Twenty-eight isolates of Histoplasma capsulation were obtained from eight species of forest mammals from the States of Amazonas, Pará and Rondônia in the Amazon Region of Brazil. Primary isolates were obtained by inoculating triturated liver and spleen tissue intradermally and intraperito-neally in hamsters. Mycological diagnosis in hamsters presenting lesions was confirmed by histopathology and culture on Sabouraud dextrose-agar. Infected hamsters developed signs of disease within two to nine months; all had disseminated visceral lesions and most also had skin lesions at the sites of inoculation. None of the hamsters inoculated with skin macerates of the original hosts developed histoplasmosis, and histopathological examination of the viscera of the wild hosts failed to reveal H. capsulation. Prevalence of infection was considerably higher in females than in males both for the opossum Didelphis marsupialis and for total wild animals (479) examined. It is proposed that canopy-dwelling mammals may acquire the infection from conidia borne on convective currents in hollow trees with openings at ground-level. Vinte e oito amostras de Histoplasma capsulatum foram obtidas de oito espécies de mamíferos silvestres nos Estados do Amazonas, Pará e Rondônia. Os isolamentos foram feitos mediante inoculação de amostras trituradas de fígado e baço em hamsters por via intradérmica e intraperitoneal. O diagnóstico micológico nos hamsters que apresentaram lesões foi confirmado por histopatologia e cultivo em meio dextrose-agar de Sabouraud. Os hamsters infectados desenvolveram sinais de doença após dois a nove meses; todos apresentaram lesões disseminadas nas vísceras e a maioria apresentou também lesões cutâneas nos locais da inoculação. Nenhum dos hamsters inoculados com material de pele dos hospedeiros originais desenvolveu histoplasmose, e H. capsulatum não foi detectado nos exames histopatológicos dos animais silvestres. A prevalência de infecção foi consideravelmente mais alta entre fêmeas, tanto para Didelphis marsupialis ...