Animals, Insects, Fish, etc., that pose health risks in Brazil

Thank you, Mr. Woodward, for this posting!  In the spirit of cooperation, and as an ecologist specializing in Brazil's wildlife, let me make some comments!

Mosquitoes:  The Aedes aegypti is the major carrier of the diseases mentioned.  The vast majority of individual mosquitoes, however, do not carry any disease, and do not occur everywhere.  The Pantanal, for example, does not have this species and does not have malaria, yellow fever, etc.

Wasps:   While there are a few cases of bee and wasp attacks each year in Brazil, the are certainly not common, given the number of species and individuals.  Most take quite a bit to rile, most of the time.  The best strategy for survival is to not upset them, don't talk loud, make sudden noises (don't scream!) etc, but once they star to swarm...RUN to shelter.  Don't stop running.  You can run faster than they typically fly, but they are persistent, so if you are in this unfortunate situation, run to shelter.

Spiders:  The Brazilian Wandering Spider is not just one species, but a generic name for the 8 species in the genus Phoneutria.  Curiously, the bite from these spiders also causes in men, a hours-long erection.  Hospitals can know what type of spider bit the patient with ease!  The chemical that causes this has been isolated, and may provide a natural cure to erectile disfunction.

Latrodectus mactans, the black widow spider, is endemic to the USA, but Latrodectus geometricus, the brown widow, grey widow, or brown button spider, is in Brazil.  The brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is found throughout the south central and midwestern United States, but not in Brazil.  The US National Library of Medicine reports "Loxosceles adelaida spiders (Araneae, Sicariidae) are found near and inside the caves in the Parque Estadual Turistico do Alto Ribeira (PETAR), Sao Paulo, Brazil, which are visited by thousands of tourists every year. Several Loxosceles species are a public health problem in many regions of the world, by causing severe dermonecrosis and/or complement dependent haemolysis upon envenomation."  It should also be noted, however, that the majority of bites cause insignificant symptoms.  Occasionally, however, necrosis and other problems can arise, and it is best to get to a hospital.

None of the spiders mentioned here are particularly agressive...you really need to touch one to have a problem.  They will not go after you!

Scorpions:  Note that there are also several species of these, rather than just one...8 families, 48 genera and about. 800 species in the neotropics!

Snakes:  The Tropical Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) is the only rattlesnake species in Brazil.  It is called Cascavel.  Jararaca is Bothrops jararara, and the Bothrops genus has several species in Brazil.  Often misidentified as the fer-de-lance (also a Bothrops species, but endemic to the island of Martinique in the Caribbean), the correct English name for Bothrops jararaca is Jararaca, and B. jararacussu, Jararacssu.  The most of the rest of the genus has the English name “Lancehead”.  See the chart below.

Bothrops alcatraz (Alcatrazes Lancehead) (Critically Endangered)
Bothrops alternatus (Urutu) (Attributes)
Bothrops ammodytoides (Yararanata)
Bothrops andianus (Peruvian pitviper)
Bothrops asper (Terciopelo) (Attributes)
Bothrops atrox (Barba Amarilla, Fer-de-Lance, common lancehead) (Attributes)
Bothrops barnetti (Barnett's Lancehead)
Bothrops brazili (Brazil's Lancehead)
Bothrops caribbaeus (Saint Lucia lancehead) (Attributes)
Bothrops colombianus (Pitviper)
Bothrops colombiensis (Pitviper)
Bothrops cotiara (Cotiara)
Bothrops erythromelas (Caatinga lancehead)
Bothrops fonsecai (Fonseca's lancehead)
Bothrops iglesiasi (Sertao Lancehead)
Bothrops insularis (Golden Lancehead) (Critically Endangered)
Bothrops itapetiningae (Sao Paulo Lancehead)
Bothrops jararaca (Jararaca)
Bothrops jararacussu (Jararacussu)
Bothrops jonathani (Jonathan's lancehead)
Bothrops lanceolatus (Martinique lancehead) (Attributes)
Bothrops leucurus (White-tailed lancehead)
Bothrops lojanus (Lojan lancehead) (Endangered)
Bothrops marajoensis (Marajo lancehead)
Bothrops moojeni (Brazilian Lancehead)
Bothrops neuwiedi (Jararaca Pintada) (Attributes)
Bothrops pictus (Desert Lancehead)
Bothrops pirajai (Piraja's lancehead)
Bothrops sanctaecrucis (Bolivian Lancehead)
Bothrops venezuelensis (Venezuela Lancehead)


There are at least 19 species of coral snake, all in the Micrurus genus.  While the Red on Black – friend of Jack, Red on Yellow – kills a fellow, works in the USA, it is not true for all the coral species in Brazil.   They are dangerous as they have a neurotoxin which attacks the nervous system.  They do not inject their poison, like the other snakes we are discussing here, but rather have very small teeth and the venom is in their saliva.  They have to break the skin of their prey for the poison to enter the system. With small teeth, they would need to chew on a human!  For this reason only 2% of venomous snakebites at the UNICAMP hospital come from coral snakes (Bothrops spp.> 69.8% and Crotalus durissus (also with a neurotoxim) 28.2%

Only a very small percentage of all bites from the species discussed here result in death.  Necrosis is the most common result of a bite, but all bites need to be taken very seriously, including a trip to the hospital.

Interestingly, in the USA and probably in Brazil, most bites are on the hand of boys from 14 – 25 years old, as a result of trying to pick one up.  Go figure.

Capuchin Monkey:  There are several species of Capuchin in Brazil (see chart below), with the most common being Cebus apella, Brown Capuchin.  The endemic Black-tufted Capuchin, Cebus nigritis, is endemic to SE Brazil.  This is what the older readers may remember as the Organ Grinder Monkey, but that was a Mexican variety of Cebus apella.  This primate can carry Chagas, as we can as well, but I have not seen and cannot find any evidence that this can be spread with a bite, and suspect this is one more commonly believed and repeated myth in Brazil.

Other primates in the São Paulo region are an introduced marmoset, perhaps Callithrix penicillata, the endemic Black-ear-tufted Marmoset, although deforestation is blending the genus.  Just outside of Guarulhos is Southern Brown Howler, Aloutta fusca.

E = Endemic

Bare-ear Marmoset  Callithrix argentata melanura
Pantanal Marmoset ? Callithrix pantanensis
Buffy Tufted-eared Marmoset   Callithrix aurita
E Buffy-headed Marmoset   Callithrix flaviceps
E Geoffroy’s Tufted-eared Marmoset  Callithrix geoffroyi
E Tassel-eared Marmoset   Callithrix humeralifer
E Common Marmoset   Callithrix jacchus
E Weid’s Tufted-eared Marmoset  Callithrix kuhlii
E Maues Marmoset  Callithrix mauesi
E Black-headed Marmoset    Callithrix nigriceps
E Black Tufted-eared Marmoset  Callithrix penicillata
Pygmy Marmoset  Callithrix pygmaea

Piranhas etc:  Well stated!  They are not usually dangerous and most of Brazil's tropical rivers have several species.  One can swim in these rivers, but not a good idea if you are bleeding.

Again, I thank Mr. Woodward for his posting!

Hello Douglas,

Thanks so very much for your wonderful addition to this posting. Now with your comments I am sure that it will accomplish its intended task and save a lot of expats from pain and suffering.

Best regards,
James

Hi James, 

We work well together!

Cheers, Douglas

I think so too Douglas, I really look forward to your feedback every time I submit a post.

Cheers,
James

Hello all,


The Aedes aegypti is the major carrier of the diseases: Dengue, Yellow Fever and Malaria. It continues to be a common problem in Brazil and the number of cases of Dengue on the rise again I thought it was about time to ressurect this old posting once again since it remains relevant. The comments of Douglas Trent are of particular importance so please read them carefully.

You can help prevent the spread of this disease by taking the following measures.

1. Eliminate any places where water can collect around your home, on your property or vacant lot; old tires, old sinks or toilets, pails and buckets, trays under flowerpots, uncapped bottles, etc.

2. Make certain that if your home has a waterbox (caixa de água) that it is tightly covered.

3. If you have a swimming pool or ornamental pond make sure that the pumps circulate the water constantly. If they are de-activated then make sure that no water is permitted to collect in the bottom of the pool or pond. The mosquito can breed in very small quantities of water so be constantly alert.

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

What about the SCORPIONS? somebody asked me.

Personally I think they're great.... especially like their hits, Wind of Change and Won't You Send Me an Angel!!!

Seriously though, always turn your shoes upside down and shake them before putting them on your feet, the little critters love shoes, dark, damp and warm - yikes. Shake out gloves and other clothes before putting them on too.

Mosquito netting covering your bed at night is also a good idea.

Never walk around barefoot, especially at night.

You can also deter scorpions in natural ways:

Fix / plug any holes, cracks and other openings in walls where they might be entering.

Check for clothes dryer vents (should have sceens), places where cables, pipes, ducts enter your building, make sure they're all protected too. Put weather stripping on all loose fitting doors and windows.

Clean up the yard and area around your home, make sure you remove any potential hiding/breeding places such as piles of wood, rocks, debris, old tires. Raise garbage cans off the ground with bricks, etc.

If it will grow where you live, plant Lavender they hate the stuff. It's also a natural deterant for many kinds of creepy crawlers.

Catch and release is also helpful if you've got the courage and a long handled set of kitchen or barbecue tongs. Catch the little beasties, but them into a jar and release them somewhere far from your home.

Eliminate water sources, if you've got decorative ponds, old tires, anything that collects rainwater drain them and keep them drained. You will not only be depriving scorpions of something they love, but it also gets rid of breeding grounds for mosquitos which can be an even bigger health hazard than scorpions. Indoors be careful around sinks, toilets and showers for the same reason.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

LOL, William, I loved your comment about the SCORPIONS. Personally, MY favorites are "Girl, I'm Leavin' You" and "There's No One Like You".

Regarding EVERYTHING ELSE you talked about in your posts, YIKES! Now, are ALL of these creepy crawlies present THROUGHOUT Brazil? For example, are Scorpions present in Fortaleza?

And as far as fumigating for mosquitos, does Brazil themselves do a good job of that? I know in my visits to Cuba where Dengue also has been a problem off and on, they DO do a VERY good job of fumagating. Trust me, as someone with one of those "sweet" (as they call it) bloods that ATTRACTS mosquito bites I am always AWARE when they DON'T bite me. For example, one day while visiting Cuba when I walked outside in the early morning hours (which just like evening is the BEST time for mosquito bites, or WORST, depending how you LOOK at it!), I was suddenly literally ATTACKED by giant mosquitos that looked and acted more like mini kamakazee planes! I was even able to HEAR them coming! Then I found out that the plane that did the fumigating had broken down and THAT was when I realized how much good the fumigating does and how NECESSARY it is. So, again, how does the Brazilan goverment do on THAT front? And does it vary from area to area? For example, is fumigating uo to LOCAL government, majing it that maybe SP or Rio and even Fortaleza will all be different in that sense?

Yes, most of these insects, snakes, etc., are found all over Brazil. I'm not sure if the scorpions will be found in Fortaleza because of the heat, but they are usually only a problem if you have a vacant lot nearby with a lot of accumulated scrap.

Most of the Brazilian cities do little towards controlling the Aedes Aegypti mosquito except to send a city worker around to the homes checking for sources of accumulated water that will be a breeding ground for them.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Ok, thanks for the info, as always.

I do remember my partner mentioning once about one of those inspectors coming to her house while we were connected and doing exactly what you just said. It only now ocurred to me about whether or not they fumigate too.