Soroprevalência da toxoplasmose e leptospirose em mamíferos selvagens neotropicais do zoológico do Parque da Cidade Governador José Rollemberg Leite, Aracaju, Sergipe

Abstract

Modern zoological gardens are institutions to wild fauna maintenance, aiming its conservation, the performance of scientific research and leisure, recreation and environmental education activities. The variety of wild species living in conditions different from the one found in its natural habitats represents a propitious environment for diseases spread, specially the zoonotic ones. Due to data shortage and wild mammals’ epidemiological relevance both for toxoplasmosis as for leptospirosis, this study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis and leptospirosis in neotropical wild mammals, from “Zoológico do Parque da Cidade Governador José Rollemberg Leite”, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 32 wild mammals, adults and from both sexes: 14 tufted capuchins (Cebus apella), four golden-bellied capuchins (Cebus xanthosternus), three pumas (Puma concolor), one jaguar (Panthera onca), one fox (Pseudolopex vetulus), six crab-eating raccoons (Procyon cancrivorus), two South American coatis (Nasua nasua), and one tayra (Eira Barbara). Sera were tested by the modified agglutination test (MAT) using formalin-fixed whole tachyzoites and mercaptoetenhol (cut-off point 1:25) to Toxoplasma gondii antibodies, and by the microscopic seroagglutination test (cut-off point: 1:100) using 24 serovar of,pathogenic leptospiras and 2 serovar of saprophyte leptospiras. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 17 of 32 wild mammals (53.1%), and antibodies to Leptospiras spp were found in 4 of 32 wild mammals (12.5%). In relation to gender, 9 of 15 (60%) males, and 8 of 17 (47.1%)females had antibodies to T. gondii, and 4 of 15 (26.7%) males had antibodies to Leptospira spp. Considering the origin of wild seropositive mammals to T. gondii, 8 of 17 (47%) was born in zoo, 7 of 17 (41.2%) were from other zoos, and 2 (11.8%) was from the wild, and 3 of4 (75%) seropositive to Leptospiras spp was born in zoo, and 1 of 4 (25%) was from the wild. This is the first serological survey of Leptospiras spp in neotropical primates and carnivores from Northeast zoo from Brazil, and the first found to antibodies to Leptospira spp (serovar Copenhageni) in the threaten specie of primate golden-bellied capuchins (Cebus xanthosternus).