Aves silvestres como sentinelas de agentes infecciosos em uma área de mata atlântica na região serrana do estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil
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Data
2025-06-09
Autores
Müller, Rosângela Aparecida
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Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
Resumo
In recent decades, infectious diseases originating from wildlife have gained increasing relevance due to their impacts on public health and the global economy. The emergence of these pathogens is closely associated with the intensification of human activities and environmental degradation. In this context, wild animals, especially birds, have been widely recognized as bioindicators and sentinel organisms, since they respond sensitively to anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems, reflecting changes in habitat quality, disease occurrence patterns, and exposure to contaminants. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the prevalence of infectious agents in wild birds is higher in anthropogenic environments than in preserved environments of the Atlantic Forest. The analysis revealed an overall prevalence of 44% of infectious agents in the bird population. Most infectious agents were found in the wild environment (72%). The genus Trypanosoma (34.6%) was the most prevalent in the avifauna, followed by Plasmodium (23.6%). The intestinal parasites microfilaria (9%), Cryptosporidium (4.5%), Entamoeba (4.5%) and Isospora (3%) were more prevalent in the wild environment. The genus Giardia (4.5%) and the helminth Ascaridia (3%) were more prevalent in the anthropized environment. For the first time, an adult Amblyomma ovale was recorded parasitizing a passerine in the Atlantic Forest and the sixth reported in passerines. It is concluded that the use of birds as sentinel species proved to be effective in detecting not only the presence of infectious agents, but also in monitoring the health of the ecosystem in general. This study demonstrates that active surveillance of wild birds, as a complementary tool, can act as an early warning system for emerging zoonoses, contributing to the early detection and control of outbreaks that impact both wildlife and human health.
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Áreas de floresta , Zoonoses , Agentes infecciosos , Aves , Espécies sentinelas