Leptospira interrogans infection of southern tamanduas ( Tamandua tetradactyla , Linnaeus, 1758) in Brazil

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance caused by an obligate aerobic spirochaete that infects a wide variety of domestic and wild animals. Natural hosts are asymptomatic or show moderate signs of the disease. Accidental hosts develop a severe, often lethal, form of the disease. All young southern tamanduas died suddenly at the zoo in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil. The animals were found dead without any noticeable clinical signs. Necropsy revealed extensive haemorrhage in the subcutaneous tissues, kidneys, lungs in addition to the presence of red fluid in the thoracic, abdominal and pericardial cavities. Histopathology of kidneys exhibited acute interstitial nephritis and tubular necrosis. Immunohistochemical staining revealed typical leptospiral wavy forms and aggregates in the lumen of several kidney tubules and lungs. Pathological and molecular investigations confirmed Leptospira interrogans infection. The adult tamanduas did not present with clinical alterations. To our knowledge, this investigation is the first study to report that leptospirosis should be considered as a possible cause of death in tamanduas. This article warns of the risks of anthropization with respect to Leptospira transmission to tamanduas, other animals and humans.

A global one health perspective on leptospirosis in humans and animals

“…Isolated cases and outbreaks of leptospirosis have been uncommonly described in captive and free-ranging wildlife species. Reports of leptospirosis in captive wildlife species have included a tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), 39 southern tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla), 40 and nonhuman primates. [41][42][43] Affected free-ranging wildlife species have included nonhuman primates, 44 canids and felids, 45,46 Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber), 47 and marine mammals on the west coast of the US.…”

Pathology and One Health implications of fatal Leptospira interrogans infection in an urbanized, free‐ranging, black‐tufted marmoset ( Callithrix penicillata ) in Brazil

“…Hepatorenal disease and pulmonary haemorrhage are typically identified in animals, similar to humans (Haake & Levett, 2015;Prescott, 2007;Rissi & Brown, 2014;Sousa et al, 2020).…”

“…Confirmation of pathogenic Leptospira (L. interrogans species) was performed by PCR assays on DNA extracted from post-mortem liver and kidney tissues. Leptospiral DNA has been amplified from lungs, liver, pancreas, and kidney post-mortem in humans and animals (Haake & Levett, 2015;Sousa et al, 2020). A limitation of PCR-based diagnosis is the current inability of PCR assays to identify the infecting serovar, which instead requires culture isolation.…”

“…One severe form of the disease, known as Weil's disease, occurs with acute hepatorenal, pulmonary, and skeletal muscle injury and failure (De Brito et al, 2018); pulmonary haemorrhagic syndrome is another severe form with respiratory failure and a fatality rate of >50% (Adler & de la Peña Moctezuma, 2010;Haake & Levett, 2015;Trevejo et al, 1998;Zaki & Shieh, 1996). Natural and experimental leptospirosis in wild and domestic animals including NHPs has similar clinical features and histopathological findings to the severe form of human leptospirosis (M. M. Pereira et al, 2005;Prescott, 2007;Rissi & Brown, 2014;Sousa et al, 2020). Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the reference standard serological method for the antemortem diagnosis of leptospirosis (Haake & Levett, 2015).…”