Abstract
The aim of this investigation was to study epidemiological aspects of paracoccidioidomycosis, the main endemic systemic mycosis in Brazil. This study was carried out using the paracoccidioidin delayed hypersensitivity test in 96 Latin American wild mammals, including 49 arboreal animals (primates): 33 Cebus apella (weeping-capuchin), 16 Callithrix jacchus (marmoset); and 47 terrestrial animals (carnivora): 37 Nasua nasua (coatimundi), and 10 Felidae [Panthera onca (jaguar), Felis pardalis (ocelot), Felis wiedii (margay), Felis tigrina (wild cat) and Felis geoffroyi (wild cat)], taking their behaviour and habitat into consideration. When the levels of paracoccidioidin positive reactions were examined, terrestrial animals showed significantly higher rates (82·98%) while arboreal animals showed lower reactivity (22.45%) (P<0·01). The data are relevant because there are quite a few papers regarding domestic and wild animals and this study may help the understanding of some aspects of the parasite ecology. These results point to the soil as the most probable reservoir of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, and this is possibly the ecological niche of the saprophytic phase in nature.