Resumo

Background: Leptospirosis is a re-emergent contagious infectious disease, caused by pathogenic leptospires that are transmitted by the urine of infected animals or bacteria-contaminated water and mud. In tropical and subtropical countries it presents high prevalence due to the temperature and humidity conditions that favor the maintenance of the agent in the environment. This disease can affect several species, in Brazilian cattle is an endemic disease, and studies have shown a high occurrence of Leptospira spp. infection in beef and dairy herds. Domestic cats as well as other species of the Family Felidae seem to be resistant to leptospirosis. However, it has been demonstrated under experimental conditions that cats may become infected by ingestion of infected rodents and contaminated water. The present study investigated the occurrence of Leptospira spp. infection in cattle, feral cats and rodents of the Fernando de Noronha Island.Materials, Methods & Results: Fernando de Noronha Island is located 360 km far from Recife and Natal, capitals of the states of Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, respectively. It has an area of approximately 18.4 km2 and constitutes the submerged part of a volcanic edifice currently inactive, which base rests 4,000 m deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Blood samples were collected from all the cattle raised in the Island (n = 88), 200 feral cats and 150 rodents, and the sera were screened by MAT (Serogroups: Australis; Autumnalis; Ballum; Bataviae; Canicola; Cynopteri; Djasiman; Grippotyphosa; Hebdomadis; Icterohaemorrhagiae; Icterohaemorrhagiae; Panama; Pomona; Pyrogenes; Sejroe e Tarassovi) for detection of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies. Initially all sera were screened at 1:100 dilution and those with 50% or more agglutination were titrated at two-fold geometric dilutions. The serum titer was defined as the reciprocal of the highest positive dilution.[...]

Resumo

O estudo epidemiológico de patógenos em populações selvagens no ambiente in situ e ex situ é fundamental para implementação de programas de prevenção, controle e monitoramento de enfermidades e para elaboração de políticas públicas de saúde pública e animal. O estudo foi realizado no zoológico do Parque Estadual de Dois Irmãos no período de janeiro a julho de 2011 onde foram coletados swabs anais e otológicos referentes a 29 carnívoros silvestres cativos do zoológico. Dos swabs otológicos analisados, 1/29 (3,4%) foi positivo para Malassezia pachy dermatis no exame direto. No exame microbiológico dos swabs otológicos, observou-se maior freqüência para bactérias do gênero Bacillus 16/29 (55,2%), seguida de Sta phylococcus 15/29 (51,7%), Escherichia coli 7/29 (24,1%), Streptobacillus 1/29 (3,4%), Micrococcus 1/29 (3,4%) e Klebsiella 1/29 (3,4%). Com relação ao exame presuntivo para o gênero Salmonella a partir das amostras de swab retal, observou-se positividade para seis raposas (Cerdocyon thous) e um guaxinim (Procyon cancrivorus). O isolamento de Salmonella spp. em C. thous e em P. cancrivorus indica um risco à saúde pública, principalmente para os profissionais do zoológico que trabalham diretamente com esses animais. Essa pesquisa reforça a importância da criação de estratégias de vigilância epidemiológica voltadas para a prevenção, controle e monitoramento de potenciais reservatórios de agentes etiológicos de doenças infecciosas e parasitárias no ambiente dos zoológicos.

The epidemiological study of pathogens in wild populations in the environment in situ and ex situ is essential for implementation of prevention, control and monitoring of diseases and for development of public policies for public and animal health. The study was conducted at the Zoo of Parque Estadual de Dois Irmãos, Recife/PE, Brazil, from January to July 2011, where we collected anal and otological swabs from 29 Zoo's captive wild carnivores. The analysis of the otological swabs showed that 1/29 (3.4%) were positive for Malassezia pachydermatis on direct examination. In the microbiological examination of otologic swabs we found mainly bacteriae of the genus Bacillus 16/29 (55.2%), followed by Staphylococcus 15/29 (51.7%), Escherichia coli 7/29 (24.1%), Streptobacillus 1/29 (3.4%), Micrococcus 1/29 (3.4%) and Klebsiella 1/29 (3.4%). Regarding the presumptive test for the genus Sal monella from rectal swabs, positive samples were observed in six foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and a raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus). The isolation of Salmonella spp. in C. thous and P. can crivorus indicates risks to public health, especially for zoo professionals who work directly with these animals. This research reinforces the importance of establishing surveillance strategies aimed at prevention, control and monitoring of potential reservoirs of the etiologic agents of infectious and parasitic diseases in the environment of zoos.