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Functional role of small mammals in protozoan transmission networks in Brazilian biomes
 
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1
Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais e Sustentabilidade Agropecuária, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco
 
2
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul
 
 
Online publication date: 2022-07-15
 
 
Publication date: 2022-07-15
 
 
Corresponding author
Filipe Martins Santos   

Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais e Sustentabilidade Agropecuária, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco
 
 
Hystrix It. J. Mamm. 2022;33(2):108-113
 
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ABSTRACT
Host-parasite associations are driven by complex ecological interactions that can be influenced by the parasite, the host, and the climatic conditions. Knowledge about the structures of host-parasite interaction networks is still incipient and studies mainly focused on the infracommunity levels. So, we conducted a systematic review using full-text articles to understand the relation between Brazilian small mammals and protozoan infections besides identify their functional roles in the network. We identified 4527 potentially relevant references and finally included 41 papers and considered 42 species of small mammals and 13 species of the protozoan. We found non-specificity of this relationship, with a modular network that is nestedness with low specialization values with most of the parasite and hosts occupying ultraperipheral or peripheral roles. Didelphids were homogeneously distributed among all modules, reinforcing the ancient relationship between this clade and the protozoan clade to spread infections. We also identify an isolated relation between the rodent O. cleberi and T. dionisii, a common bat protozoan highlighting that the environment and features of the parasites and hosts make these relationships more complex, and understanding these relationships can help to understand the dynamics of many infectious diseases.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First author thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the fellowship (88887.369261/2019-00).
FUNDING
First author thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the fellowship (88887.369261/2019-00). NYS are in receipt of a fellowship from CAPES (88887.194498/2018-00). This research was financially supported by CAPES (Finance Code 001).
eISSN:1825-5272
ISSN:0394-1914
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