Molecular Screening of Plasmodium spp. in Free-Living Ring-Tailed Coatis (Nasua nasua) and Nine-Banded Armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the Peruvian Amazon

Identifying the diversity of wildlife hosts for malaria parasites in wildlife is crucial for understanding transmission dynamics in endemic regions where humans, vectors, and wildlife heavily overlap. We examined the presence of <i>Plasmodium</i> parasites in free-ranging ring-tailed coatis (<i>Nasua nasua</i>, <i>n</i> = 44) and nine-banded armadillos (<i>Dasypus novemcinctus</i>, <i>n</i> = 66) from an Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon. Nested PCR targeting the mitochondrial <i>cytb</i> gene detected <i>Plasmodium</i> spp. DNA in two coatis (4.7%). Sequencing revealed one lineage identical to <i>Plasmodium vivax/P. simium</i> and another to <i>P. malariae/P. brasilianum</i>. A subset of samples was reanalyzed using <i>cox3</i>-based PCR and sequencing in an independent laboratory, confirming <i>P. malariae/P. brasilianum</i> in one coati. No infections were observed in armadillos. These results indicate that coatis in the wild may host diverse Plasmodiidae parasites and that coatis may even carry <i>Plasmodium</i> spp., likely as incidental hosts. Expanding surveillance to additional non-primate mammals will help clarify their role in sylvatic malaria ecology and evaluate potential zoonotic risks.