First detection of feline hemoplasmas in free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca).

Species of hemoplasmas have been described worldwide, but little information is available for wild felids. Between February 2000 and January 2010, blood samples were collected from 30 jaguars (Panthera onca) and 22 domestic cats (Felis catus) from the Cerrado, Pantanal and Amazon biomes of Brazil. In all samples molecular tests were performed for Mycoplasma haemofelis/Mycoplasma haemocanis (Mhf/Mhc), 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (CMhm) and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' (CMt). Twenty-two (73.4%) jaguars and four domestic cats (18.2%) tested positive for infection with at least one feline hemoplasma: 73.4% jaguars from the three areas were positive for CMhm, 13.6% jaguars from the Pantanal and 50.0% from the Amazon were positive for Mhf/Mhc, and 9.1% of individuals from the Pantanal tested positive for CMt. Domestic cats from the Cerrado (28.6%) and the Pantanal (30.0%) were positive for feline hemoplasma. All but one jaguar from the three sites are healthy. One female adult jaguar showed low body weight and dehydration. This is the first record of feline hemoplasmas in free-ranging jaguars. The high prevalence of CMhm suggest the participation of jaguars in the maintenance of this hemoplasma in nature. Although susceptible to Mhf/Mhc and CMt, jaguars did not appear to participate in the maintenance of these agents in the environment. The involvement of domestic cats in the transmission of any of these hemoplasmas cannot be excluded.

Is the free-ranging jaguar (Panthera onca) a reservoir for Cytauxzoon felis in Brazil?

This study investigated the occurrence of Cytauxzoon felis and Babesia spp. in free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca), domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and domestic cats (Felis catus) from the Cerrado, Amazon and Pantanal biomes of Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 30 jaguars, 129 dogs and 22 cats for detection of the 18S rRNA genes of piroplasmids. All of the jaguars from the Pantanal (n=22) and Cerrado (n=4) and three of four jaguars from the Amazon were positive for C. felis, but no dogs or cats were positive for the agent. All of the jaguars and domestic cats were negative for Babesia spp., while dogs from the Cerrado (7.9%; 5/63) and Amazon (10.6%; 5/47) biomes tested positive for the hemoparasite. Cytauxzoon nucleotide sequences detected were closely related to C. felis; and Babesia nucleotide sequences showed 100% of identity with Babesia vogeli. Although the pathogenicity of Cytauxzoon spp. genotypes that circulate in Brazil is still unknown, free-ranging jaguars probably play an important role in the maintenance of C. felis in nature. In addition, even though there is no evidence of the circulation of Babesia spp. between jaguars and dogs, the presence of this hemoparasite should be monitored in jaguar populations.

Hepatozoon SPP. Infect Free-Ranging Jaguars (Panthera onca) in Brazil.

This study investigated the presence of Hepatozoon spp. in jaguars ( Panthera onca ) and domestic animals in the Cerrado, Amazon, and Pantanal biomes of Brazil. Between February 2000 and January 2010, blood samples were collected from 30 jaguars, 129 domestic dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris), and 22 domestic cats ( Felis catus ) for molecular tests. All of the jaguars from the Pantanal (n = 22) and Cerrado (n = 4) and 3 of 4 jaguars from the Amazon were positive for Hepatozoon spp. Domestic dogs (62.8%) and cats (31.8%) were also positive for the agent. Hepatozoon nucleotide sequences from jaguars and domestic cats grouped with other Hepatozoon felis, whereas Hepatozoon from domestic dogs showed high similarity to Hepatozoon canis. Different species of Amblyomma were identified as parasitizing the jaguars and may act as vectors for Hepatozoon spp. Jaguars from the 3 sites were healthy and did not seem to be threatened by the hemoparasite within its population or environments. Most likely, jaguars play an important role in the maintenance of Hepatozoon spp. in nature.

Exposure of Free-Ranging Wild Carnivores and Domestic Dogs to Canine Distemper Virus and Parvovirus in the Cerrado of Central Brazil.

Human population growth around protected areas increases the contact between wild and domestic animals, promoting disease transmission between them. This study investigates the exposure of free-ranging wild carnivores and domestic dogs to canine distemper virus (CDV) and parvovirus in Emas National Park (ENP) in the Cerrado savanna of central Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 169 wild carnivores, including the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), hoary fox (Pseudalopex vetulus), puma (Puma concolor), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus semistriatus) and coati (Nasua nasua), and from 35 domestic dogs living on rural properties bordering ENP. Serological tests showed that 10.6% of wild carnivores (maned wolves, crab-eating foxes and ocelots) and 71.4% of domestic dogs were exposed to CDV, and 56.8% of wild carnivores, including all species sampled except coatis, and 57.1% of domestic dogs were exposed to parvovirus. This report is the first to indicate that the free-ranging pampas cat, jaguarundi and striped hog-nosed skunk are exposed to parvovirus. CDV and parvovirus deserve attention in ENP, and it is extremely important to monitor the health of carnivore populations and perform molecular diagnosis of the viruses to determine the possible involvement of the domestic dog in their transmission.

Serosurvey of Smooth Brucella, Leptospira spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in Free-Ranging Jaguars (Panthera onca) and Domestic Animals from Brazil.

This study investigated the exposure of jaguar populations and domestic animals to smooth Brucella, Leptospira spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in the Cerrado, Pantanal and Amazon biomes of Brazil. Between February 2000 and January 2010, serum samples from 31 jaguars (Panthera onca), 1,245 cattle (Bos taurus), 168 domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and 29 domestic cats (Felis catus) were collected and analysed by rose bengal test for smooth Brucella, microscopic agglutination test for Leptospira spp. and modified agglutination test for T. gondii. Cattle populations from all sites (9.88%) were exposed to smooth Brucella, but only one jaguar from Cerrado was exposed to this agent. Jaguars captured in the Cerrado (60.0%) and in the Pantanal (45.5%) were seropositive for different serovars of Leptospira spp., cattle (72.18%) and domestic dogs (13.1%) from the three sites and one domestic cat from Pantanal were also seropositive for the agent. The most prevalent serotype of Leptospira spp. identified in jaguars from the Cerrado (Grippotyphosa) and the Pantanal (Pomona) biomes were distinct from those found in the domestic animals sampled. Jaguars (100%), domestic dogs (38.28%) and domestic cats (82.76%) from the three areas were exposed to T. gondii. Our results show that brucellosis and leptospirosis could have been transmitted to jaguars by domestic animals; and jaguars probably play an important role in the maintenance of T. gondii in nature.

Serosurvey for selected viral infections in free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca) and domestic carnivores in Brazilian Cerrado, Pantanal, and Amazon.

We investigated the exposure of jaguar (Panthera onca) populations and domestic carnivores to selected viral infections in the Cerrado, Amazon, and Pantanal biomes of Brazil. Between February 2000 and January 2010, we collected serum samples from 31 jaguars, 174 dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), and 35 domestic cats (Felis catus). Serologic analyses for antibodies to rabies virus, canine distemper virus (CDV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) antigen were conducted. The jaguars from Cerrado and Pantantal were exposed to rabies virus, while the jaguars from the Pantanal and the dogs from all three areas were exposed to CDV. Two cats from the Amazonian site were antigen-positive for FeLV, but no jaguars had FeLV antigen or FIV antibody. Canine distemper and rabies viruses should be carefully monitored and considered potential threats to these jaguar populations. Currently FIV and FeLV do not appear to represent a health threat for jaguar populations in this area. Domestic dogs and cats in these areas should be vaccinated, and the movement of domestic animals around protected areas should be restricted.

High proportion of male faeces in jaguar populations.

Faeces provide relevant biological information which includes, with the application of genetic techniques, the sex and identity of individuals that defecated, thus providing potentially useful data on the behaviour and ecology of individuals, as well as the dynamics and structure of populations. This paper presents estimates of the sex ratio of different felid species (jaguar, Panthera onca; puma, Puma concolor; and ocelot/margay, Leopardus pardalis/Leopardus wiedi) as observed in field collected faeces, and proposes several hypotheses that could explain the strikingly high proportion of faeces from male jaguars. The proportion of male and female faeces was estimated using a non-invasive faecal sampling method in 14 study areas in Mexico and Brazil. Faecal samples were genetically analysed to identify the species, the sex and the individual (the latter only for samples identified as belonging to jaguars). Considering the three species, 72.6% of faeces (n = 493) were from males; however, there were significant differences among them, with the proportion from males being higher for jaguars than for pumas and ocelots/margays. A male-bias was consistently observed in all study areas for jaguar faeces, but not for the other species. For jaguars the trend was the same when considering the number of individuals identified (n = 68), with an average of 4.2±0.56 faeces per male and 2.0±0.36 per female. The observed faecal marking patterns might be related to the behaviour of female jaguars directed toward protecting litters from males, and in both male and female pumas, to prevent interspecific aggressions from male jaguars. The hypothesis that there are effectively more males than females in jaguar populations cannot be discarded, which could be due to the fact that females are territorial and males are not, or a tendency for males to disperse into suboptimal areas for the species.

Serologic survey for selected infectious diseases in free-ranging Brazilian tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in the cerrado of central Brazil.

From September 2000 to January 2002, a serologic survey was conducted in a population of free-ranging Brazilian tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) inhabiting Emas National Park and surrounding areas in Goiás state, central Brazil, as part of an ecologic study. Ten tapirs were immobilized with a tiletamine-zolazepam combination, and blood samples were collected. All sera were negative for Leptospira spp., Brucella abortus, and equine infectious anemia; and one of 10 animals was positive for Toxoplasma gondii. This report represents the first serologic survey for selected infectious diseases in a free-ranging population of Brazilians tapirs in central Brazil.

Phylogenetic autocorrelation and evolutionary diversity of Carnivora (Mammalia) in Conservation Units of the New World

One of the main concerns of Conservation Biology is the identification of priority areas for conservation, and the development of quantitative methods is important to achieve this task. Many phylogenetic diversity indexes and higher-taxon approaches have been used in this context. In this study, Faith's phylogenetic indexes and the number of evolutionary independent lineages of Carnivora were calculated at the average patch level based on phylogenetic autocorrelation analysis of phenotypic traits, in 18 conservation units in America (frequently National Parks). Despite controversies about the hierarchical level to be adopted, the characters included in this study suggest that the family level produces independent units for the analysis of phenotypic diversity in Carnivora. A positive correlation between species richness and the number of evolutionary independent lineages appeared (r = 0.67; P < 0.05), showing that this is a valid criterion to priorize conservation areas. Faith's phylogenetic diversity index is also highly correlated with species richness (r = 0.87; P < 0.05), as well as with the number of evolutionary independent lineages (r = 0.89; P < 0.05). Thus, the conservation units with more species have also more evolutionary information to be preserved.