Victor Lemes Landeiro

Malaria is a prevalent disease in several tropical and subtropical regions, including Brazil, where it remains a significant public health concern. Even though there have been substantial efforts to decrease the number of cases, the reoccurrence of epidemics in regions that have been free of cases for many years presents a significant challenge. Due to the multifaceted factors that influence the spread of malaria, influencing malaria risk factors were analyzed through regional outbreak cluster analysis and spatio-temporal models in the Brazilian Amazon, incorporating climate, land use/cover interactions, species richness, and number of endemic birds and amphibians. Results showed that high amphibian and bird richness and endemism correlated with a reduction in malaria risk. The presence of forest had a risk-increasing effect, but it depended on its juxtaposition with anthropic land uses. Biodiversity and landscape composition, rather than forest formation presence alone, modulated malaria risk in the period. Areas with low endemic species diversity and high human activity, predominantly anthropogenic landscapes, posed high malaria risk. This study underscores the importance of considering the broader ecological context in malaria control efforts.

Malaria is a prevalent disease in several tropical and subtropical regions, including Brazil, where remains a significant public health concern. Despite control efforts, reintroduction of endemics in areas without cases for decades poses a challenge. To assess factors influencing ma-laria risk, regional outbreak cluster analysis and a spatio-temporal models were developed for the Brazilian Amazon, incorporating climate, land use/cover interactions, endemic bird, and amphibian richness. Results showed that amphibian, bird richness and endemism correlated with a reduction in malaria risk. Presence of forest had a positive effect on risk, but it depended on its juxtaposition with anthropic land uses. Biodiversity and landscape composition, rather than forest formation presence alone, modulated malaria risk in the period. Areas with low en-demic species diversity and high human activity, predominantly anthropogenic landscapes posed high malaria risk. This study underscores the importance of considering the broader eco-logical context in malaria control efforts.

Studies on Cladocera biodiversity in Brazilian freshwater ecosystems are intensifying. However, the fauna of some hydrographic regions is still poorly known. We investigated the richness and species composition of cladocerans in lakes of the Pantanal from the state of Mato Grosso (Paraguay hydrographic region), Brazil. In addition, we cataloged the known cladoceran species in each hydrographic region of the state. Occurrence data were obtained from the literature and samples collected from 50 lakes in the northern Pantanal. We recorded 120 cladoceran species from eight families in the state of Mato Grosso. The occurrence of these species was recorded in the Amazon and Paraguay hydrographic regions. We are unaware of studies on cladocerans conducted in the Tocantins-Araguaia hydrographic region. We reported 17 new records in the Pantanal samples (Paraguay hydrographic region). Overall, richness estimates reveal that 72.6% of the state's cladoceran fauna is already known, while for the Paraguay hydrographic region this estimate is 72.2%. In general, the cladocerans from the Amazon and Paraguay regions did not differ. Our findings allow us to infer the need for further studies in the different hydrographic regions found in Mato Grosso in order to improve the knowledge of cladoceran biodiversity. We suggest a greater sampling effort, particularly in the littoral zone of aquatic ecosystems in this state, which can harbor great biodiversity.