DETECTION OF Leptospira spp. AND Brucella abortus ANTIBODIES IN FREE-LIVING JAGUARS (Panthera onca) IN TWO PROTECTED AREAS OF NORTHERN PANTANAL, BRAZIL

• Main Authors: Selma Samiko Miyazaki ONUMA, Daniel Luis Zanella KANTEK, Peter Gransden CRAWSHAW JÚNIOR, Ronaldo Gonçalves MORATO, Joares Adenilson MAY-JÚNIOR, Zenaide Maria de MORAIS, José Soares FERREIRA NETO, Daniel Moura de AGUIAR
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2015-04-01
• Series: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Subjects: Zoonotic diseases; Leptospira spp.; B. abortus; Serology; Panthera onca
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46652015000200177&lng=en&tlng=en

This study aimed to assess the exposure of free-living jaguars (Panthera onca) to Leptospira spp. and Brucella abortus in two conservation units in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The presence of antibodies in blood samples of eleven jaguars was investigated using autochthonous antigens isolated in Brazil added to reference antigen collection applied to diagnosis of leptospirosis by Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). The Rose Bengal test was applied for B. abortus antibodies. Two (18.2%) jaguars were seroreactive for the Leptospira spp. antigen and the serovar considered as most infective in both animals was a Brazilian isolate of serovar Canicola (L01). All jaguars were seronegative for B. abortus. These data indicate that the inclusion of autochthonous antigens in serological studies can significantly increase the number of reactive animals, as well as modify the epidemiological profile of Leptospira spp. infection.