Epidemiology of leptospirosis at Sorocaba Zoo, São Paulo state, Southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Leptospirosis is considered a worldwide distributed zoonosis, caused by the bacteria Leptospira spp. Since several species of wildlife animals are reportedly reservoirs, the aim of the present study was to know the epidemiology of leptospirosis at the Sorocaba Zoo, Southern Brazil. Serum samples of wild mammals from Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Didelphimorphia, Diprotodontia, Perissodactyla, Pilosa, Primates, Proboscidea and Rodentia orders, kept in captivity as well as from zoological staff were assayed by microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Whole blood, urine and tissue samples from wild mammals and synanthropic animals were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An epidemiological survey was applied to evaluate the risk factors for animal infection and staff level of knowledge on leptospirosis. A total of 13/229 (5.68%; CI95% 3.37-9.47%) serum samples from wild mammals were reagent on MAT. Serology from synanthropic animals, zoo staff and molecular analysis of animal samples were all negative. Leptospirosis knowledge of zoo park staff was considered medium. In conclusion, leptospiral infection occurs at the studied zoo but due to the low occurrence found, the lowest reported in literature, wild captive mammals do not act as source of infection of leptospirosis to other animals and human beings.

Occurrence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. In free-ranging wild canids from the Brazilian savanna

“…In the species C. brachyurus, the serovars found in this study differ from those described earlier (Deem & Emmons 2005, Esteves et al 2005, Jorge 2008, Ullmann et al 2012. Only the serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae had already been reported in maned wolves in a national park in Bolivia (Deem & Emmons 2005) (Table 4).…”

“…Reports of the serovars Wolfii and Icterohaemorrhagiae in crab-eating foxes were not found, so this represents the first record. Serovars other than those detected in this study have been described in Cerdocyon thous (Corrêa et al 2004, Souza-Júnior et al 2006, Jorge 2008, Ullmann et al 2012 (Table 3). …”

Serological survey of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) at the Curitiba Zoo, southern Brazil

“…Several animals species were studied, such as lion tamarins in Rio de Janeiro (Lilenbaum et al 2005), New World monkeys in Salvador (Pinna et al 2012), llama, crab-eating fox, maned wolf, coatimundi, zebra, spider monkey (Lilenbaum et al 2002), yagouaroundi, margay, mountain lion and jaguar (Lilenbaum et al 2004) in Rio de Janeiro Zoo, and captive neotropical felids in Foz do Iguaçu (Guerra Neto et al, 2004). Prevalence in these studies ranged from 5.68% to 56.8% and Icterohaemorrhagiae was one of the predominant serovars (Corrêa et al 2004, Esteves et al 2005, Guerra Neto et al 2004, Lilenbaum et al 2005, Pimentel et al 2009, Pinna et al 2012, Ullmann et al 2012b. Captivity in zoos may allow contact of wild animals to free-ranging wild and sinantropic animals such as rodents, raccoons, opossums and stray dogs due to close proximity of both urban and sylvatic environments.…”

Pesquisa de leptospiras e de anticorpos contra leptospiras em animais e humanos de propriedades rurais nos biomas brasileiros Pantanal e Caatinga

“…Esses achados sugerem a transmissão interespecífica do mesmo agente etiológico, principalmente a transmissão de animais selvagens para populações humanas e de animais domésticos. A sorovariedade Bratislava foi descrita por Ullmann et al (2012) Em relação a inquéritos sorológicos em bovinos no Pantanal, Pellegrin et al (1999) encontraram animais reagentes em todas as propriedades estudadas no estado do Mato Grosso do Sul e a frequência de animais reagentes variou de 10 a 84%. Em equinos, Pellegrin, Silva e Ribeiro (1994) observaram que 100% das propriedades apresentaram animais soropositivos, sendo Icterohaemorrhagiae e Hardjo as sorovariedades mais prevalentes e, como menos prevalentes, Canicola e Pomona.…”