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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 78(1), 2008, pp. 176-178
Copyright © 2008 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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SHORT REPORT


Historical Analysis of a Near Disaster: Anopheles gambiae in Brazil

Aristeidis Parmakelis*, Michael A. Russello, Adalgisa Caccone, Carlos Brisola Marcondes, Jane Costa, Oswaldo P. Forattini, Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, Richard C. Wilkerson, AND Jeffrey R. Powell
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Trindade, Florianópolis, Brazil; Laboratório de Biodiversidade Entomológica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Division of Entomology Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland; Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC

 

ABSTRACT

Attributed to human-mediated dispersal, a species of the Anopheles gambiae complex invaded northeastern Brazil in 1930. This event is considered unique among the intercontinental introductions of disease vectors and the most serious one: "Few threats to the future health of the Americas have equalled that inherent in the invasion of Brazil, in 1930, by Anopheles gambiae." Because it was only in the 1960s that An. gambiae was recognized as a species complex now including seven species, the precise species identity of the Brazilian invader remains a mystery. Here we used historical DNA analysis of museum specimens, collected at the time of invasion from Brazil, and aimed at the identification of the Brazilian invader. Our results identify the arid-adapted Anopheles arabiensis as being the actual invading species. Establishing the identity of the species, in addition to being of intrinsic historical interest, can inform future threats of this sort especially in a changing environment. Furthermore, these results highlight the potential danger of human-mediated range expansions of insect disease vectors and the importance of museum collections in retrieving historical information.

Received May 4, 2007. Accepted for publication August 18, 2007.

Acknowledgments: We thank M. Coluzzi and D. Fish for fruitful comments and discussion.

Financial support: This study was supported by NIH Grant RO1 AI046018 to JRP. AP was the beneficiary of a Marie Curie Outgoing International Fellowship (Contract MOIF-CT-2006-021357).

* Address correspondence to Aristeidis Parmakelis, 21 Sachem St., New Haven, CT 06520. E-mail: parmakel{at}nhmc.uoc.gr

Authors’ addresses: Aristeidis Parmakelis, Michael A. Russello, Adalgisa Caccone, and Jeffrey R. Powell, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 21 Sachem St., 06520, New Haven, CT, Telephone: 203–432–3886, Fax: 203–432–7394, E-mails: parmakel{at}nhmc.uoc.gr, adalgisa.caccone{at}yale.edu, jeffrey.powell{at}yale.edu. Aristeidis Parmakelis, present address: Department of Biology, University of Crete, Knossou Avenue, Irakleio, Crete GR-71409, Greece, Telephone: 2810–393282, E-mail: parmakel{at}nhmc.uoc.gr. Michael A. Russello, present address: Unit of Biology and Physical Geography, University of British Columbia Okanagan, 3333 University Way, SCI381, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada, Telephone: 250–807–8762, Fax: 250–807–8005, E-mail: michael.russello{at}ubc.ca. Carlos Brisola Marcondes, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Trindade, 88040–900 Florianópolis, SC, Brazil, Telephone: 55–48–3721–5208, Fax: 55–48–3721–5208, E-mail: cbrisola{at}mbox1.ufsc.br. Jane Costa, Laboratório de Biodiversidade Entomológica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Telephone: 55–21–2598–4401, Fax: 55–21–2573–7276, E-mail: jcosta{at}ioc.fiocruz.br. Maria Anice Mureb Sallum and Oswaldo P. Forattini, Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 715, CEP 01246–904, São Paulo, Brazil, Telephone: 55–11–30617731, Fax: 55–11–30812108, E-mails: masallum{at}usp.br, opforati{at}usp.br. Richard C. Wilkerson, Division of Entomology Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, and Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, Telephone: 301–238–1077, Fax: 301–238–3168, E-mail: wilkersonr{at}si.edu.






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