Epidemiological characterization and risk factors associated with leptospirosis and brucellosis in small ruminants sold at animal fair in the Sertão Region of Pernambuco State, a semiarid Region of Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The transit of infected animals may be a route for the introduction and dispersal of diseases, which necessitates protocols for the controlled entry of infected animals into herds. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-Leptospira and anti-Brucella ovis antibodies in small ruminants sold at an animal fair in the Sertão region of the Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil, and to identify the possible risk factors associated with seropositivity. Serum samples were collected from 233 goats and 119 sheep, belonging to twelve different owners from November 2014 to June 2015. Diagnosis of Leptospira spp. infection was established using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT); for B. ovis infection, the agar gel immuno-diffusion (AGID) test was conducted. A total of 16/233 (6.87%; 95% CI = 4.27% -10.83%) goats and 16/119 (13.45%; 95% CI = 8.67% -21.24%) sheep were identified as seropositive for Leptospira spp. The most frequent serotype was Icterohaemorrhagiae. In goats, intensive management system (odds ratio = 15.8; p < 0.001) and consorted rearing of equines and goats (odds ratio = 7.3; p = 0.005) were identified as risk factors. There were no risk factors identified for sheep. Seven (5.88%; 95% CI = 2.88% -11.65%) sheep were seropositive for B. ovis, and the intensive management system was identified as the risk factor (odds ratio = 11.5; p = 0.005). This suggests that Leptospira spp. and B. ovis infections occur in small ruminants commercialized in the Sertão region of the Pernambuco State. Thus, improvements to the sanitary conditions of the facilities and the control of synanthropic rodents are recommended. ResumoO trânsito de animais infectados pode ser uma forma de introdução e dispersão de enfermidades, de maneira que o bloqueio da entrada de animais infectados nos rebanhos é uma importante ferramenta de controle. O objetivo desse estudo foi determinar a frequência de anticorpos anti-Leptospira spp. e antiBrucella ovis em pequenos ruminantes comercializados em feira de animais no Sertão de Pernambuco, Nordeste do Brasil, e identificar os possíveis fatores de risco associados às soropositividades. Foram coletadas amostras de soro de 233 caprinos e 119 ovinos, pertencentes a doze proprietários diferentes, no período de novembro de 2014 a junho de 2015. O diagnóstico da infecção por Leptospira spp. foi realizado pela técnica de soroaglutinação microscópica (SAM), e para B. ovis o teste de imunodifusão em gel de ágar (IDGA) foi aplicado. Foram identificados 16 (6,87%; IC 95% = 4,27% -10,83%) caprinos e 16 (13,45%; IC 95% = 8,67% -21,24%) ovinos soropositivos para Leptospira spp. O sorotipo mais frequente foi o Icterohaemorrhagiae. Em caprinos, a criação de forma intensiva (odds ratio = 15,8; p < 0,001) e criar equinos consorciados com caprinos (odds ratio = 7,3; p = 0,005) foram identificados como fatores de risco. Não foi identificado fator de risco associado à infecção em ovinos. Sete (5,88%; IC 95% = 2,88% -11,65%) ovinos foram soropositivos para B. ovis, e a criação inte...

Spatial Distribution of Serologically Reactive Sheep to Leptospira spp. in the Northeast Region of Brazil

“…The comparison of the proportion of serorective animals among the states was performed with the Chi-squared test with 5% significance level, by using the IBM @ SPSS @ for Statistics 21 4 .…”

“…The minimum number of animals to sampled in each herd was calculated with the formula for detecting the presence of disease [32], using following parameters: probability (P) of 95% for detection of at least one seropositive animal in the herd and number of seropositive animals in the herd (d) assuming a herd prevalence of 13.45% [4]. In flocks with up to 20 animals, all sheep were sampled and 20 animals were selected when number of animals was greater than 20.…”

Are medicinal plants an alternative to the use of synthetic pharmaceuticals in animal healthcare in the Brazilian semi-arid?

“…The positive relationship between number of animals raised and number of known plant species was even higher among ovine animals. This is a species often affected by various intestinal parasites in the semiarid regions worldwide (Abebe & Esayas 2001, Alves et al 2017, Nogueira et al 2009. External and internal parasites are the most common threat to ovines, they can reduce their productivity and even cause death (Simmons & Ekarius 2009).…”