Health assessment of free-ranging three-banded (Tolypeutes matacus) and nine-banded (Dasypus novemcinctus) armadillos in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia.

The Gran Chaco, Bolivia, has a total of seven species of armadillos with the three-banded (Tolypeutes matacus) and nine-banded (Dasypus novemcinctus) the most commonly hunted by the local Isoseño-Guarani people. Armadillos are known carriers of zoonotic pathogens, including Mycobacterium leprae, Toxoplasma gondii, and Trypanosoma cruzi; thus human handling and consumption of these species may have a significant public health impact. A health assessment that included physical examinations, hematology, plasma biochemical analyses, levels of exposure to selected infectious agents, and endoparasite and ectoparasite identification was performed on nine-banded and three-banded armadillos in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia. Based on clinical findings, the general health of these armadillos was rated as good. However, many of the nine-banded armadillos (64%) had abrasions and wounds, probably related to the capture method. The blood value results from a subset of these armadillos are presented as baseline values for free-ranging populations of both these species in Bolivia. Serologic antibody tests for M. leprae were negative in three-banded (n = 8) and nine-banded (n = 2) armadillos. Three-banded armadillos were antibody positive for Eastern equine encephalitis virus (8/8; 100%) and Saint Louis encephalitis virus (5/8; 62.5%). Two of 12 (16.7%) three-banded armadillos tested were antigen positive for Dirofilaria immitis. Nine-banded armadillos were antibody positive for T. gondii (3/9; 33.3%), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (5/8; 62.5%), and T. cruzi (2/9; 22.2%). Two of eight (25%) nine-banded armadillos were antigen positive for D. immitis. A number of endo- and ectoparasites were identified in/on both species of armadillos. Results from this study support the possibility that the handling and consumption of these species by the local Isoseño-Guarani people may have a public health impact.

Lepra en el armadillo salvaje / No disponible

Los armadillos salvajes de nueve bandas (Dasypus novemcinctus) de la zona central y sur de Estados Unidos son huéspedes naturales y endémicos de Mycobacterium leprae. Los estudios llevados a cabo durante los últimos 30 años o más en alrededor de 5.000 animales confirman que la infección está presente en Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi y Texas. Los índices de prevalencia más elevada se encuentran entre los animales de las zonas aluviales de menor altura y áreas costeras, principalmente en Lousiana y Texas. Tanto la densidad poblacional de animales como los factores locales pueden contribuir a la que se detecte lepra en el armadillo de cualquiera de estas zonas de los EE.UU. y sólo hay pocos casos que describan la infección entre animales de América del Sur o Central. Sin embargo, este tema ha suscitado escaso interés en otros países. Los armadillos son relativamente recientes en los EE.UU. y la lepra ya estaba presente en Texas y Lousiana antes de su llegada. No está muy clara la relación ecológica entre los humanos y los armadillos. Sin embargo, los armadillos infectados son un gran reservorio de M. leprae y pueden ser fuente de infección para algunos individuos de este país y quizás en otras partes comprendidas dentro del alcance de estos animales

Wild nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcictus) in the south central United States are highly endemic natural hosts of Mycobacterium leprae. Surveys conducted over the lass 30 years on more that 5.000 animals confirm that the infection is present among armadillos in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Highest prevalence rates are found among the animals in low-lying alluvial and coastal areas, primarily in Lousiana and Texas. Both animal density and local factors may contribute to the detectability of armadillo leprosy in those regions. Little evidence for M.leprae infection is found among armadillos elsewhere in the US range, and only a few reports relate finding the infection among animals in Central or South America. However, the issue has received only scant attention in other countries. Armadillos only recently expanded their range into the Us, and leprosy was present in Texas and Lousiana prior to the arrival of armadillos. The ecological relationship between humans and armadillos with M. leprae in this region remains unclear. However, infected armadillos constitute a large reservoir of M. leprae and they may be a source of infection for some humans in this country, and perhaps in other locations across the animal´s range

Reactivity of a population of armadillo lymphocytes with an antibody to human gamma,delta T-cells.

Reactivity of lymphocytes from the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) was examined by flow cytometry using a panel of 16 commercially available fluorochrome-conjugated monoclonal antibodies raised against human or murine leukocyte antigens. The only reactivity observed was with antibody TCRdelta1, directed against a common determinant on the delta chain of the human gamma,delta T-cell receptor. Using this antibody, a distinct, bright population of lymphocytes was seen in the peripheral blood in all of 47 animals examined, accounting for 2.0-47.1% of lymphocytes (median, 10.6%). The gamma,delta-reactive lymphocyte population comprised a greater percentage of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the small intestine than in the blood; variable percentages of gamma,delta-reactive cells were also observed in the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and bone marrow, and in cutaneous lepromas. In armadillos with disseminated Mycobacterium leprae infection, a significantly greater percentage of circulating lymphocytes reacted with the anti-gamma,delta antibody. This is the first described reactivity of armadillo lymphocytes with a monoclonal antibody to a lymphocyte antigen, and it may offer a useful tool in disease models involving the armadillo.

Parámetros bioquímicos do tatu (Dasypus novemcinctus); tatus silvestres e inoculados com Mycobacterium leprae / Biochemical parametros in armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) sylcan armadillos and inoculated with Mycobacterium leprae

Os autores realizaram exames bioquímicos em 11 tatus, Dasypus novemcinctus (9 bandas), sendo 5 machos e 3 fêmeas silvestres e 2 fêmeas e 1 macho inoculados com M. leprae. Os animais foram capturados no parque Ecológico do Hospital Lauro de Souza Lima, Bauru, Estado de Säo Paulo, no período de 1986 a 1987. No presente trabalho também foi realizada uma comparaçäo entre os dados obtidos e os dados da literatura e também com os parâmetros de humanos

Biochemical alterations in the serum of armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) infected with Mycobacterium leprae. A preliminary report.

Armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) were inoculated with Mycobacterium leprae isolated from lepromas taken from untreated lepromatous patients or from the spleen of an armadillo previously infected with human M. leprae. The effect of the infection on the serum levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AlkP), glutamate-oxalacetate (GOT) and glutamate-pyruvate (GPT) transaminases was investigated. In general, there was a good correlation between positive evidences of infection and alterations in the levels of LDH, GOT, and GPT. Although elevations in LDH levels were more striking, elevations in GOT and GPT levels were more consistent with the disease. When an absolute increase in the total LDH activity was not observed in a M. leprae-infected animal, an increase in the level of LDH isozyme V was still clearly evident. Serum levels of alkaline phosphatase were not affected by the disease. The ratio GOT/GPT (greater than 1.0) in the infected animals reflected and supported the chronic nature of the disease and the liver involvement. The enzymatic alterations are not, however, specific for leprosy.

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in leprosy.

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity was measured in 91 adult healthy and lepromatous armadillos before inoculation with M. leprae and at necropsises. Mean ACE values were significantly elevated in armadillos with leprosy and the degree of elevation was roughly proportional to the extent of infection. There was also significant difference in the serum ACE levels between Florida and Louisiana armadillos. The dapsone treatment resulted in bringing these levels to normal. Serial assays of serum, ACE provided information on the response of armadillos to dapsone therapy.