Estudo geo-epidemiológico da infecção por Leptospira spp. em bovinos, felinos e roedores na Ilha de Fernando de Noronha, estado de Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic and cosmopolitan bacterial disease that affects man, domestic and wild animals and is a major health problem. Serological surveys in various parts of the world have demonstrated the involvement of different synanthropic and wild species in the epidemiology of the disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in cattle, cats and rodents on the Island of Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco. Blood samples were collected from all cattle (88), 200 feral cats and 150 rodents. To investigate anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies, the Microscopic Soroagglutination (SAM) technique was used. The occurrence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies for cattle was 28.7% (20/88) and 12.7% (19/150) for rodents. No reactive cats were found. In cattle, the serotype Icterohaemorrhagiae (serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae) predominated in 100% (20/20) of the reagent samples. In rodents, the serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae (serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae) accounted for 73.7% (14/19) of the infections, followed by the serogroups Djasiman (serovar Djasiman) and Australis (serovar Bratislava), with reactive rodents occurring in 21.0% (4/19) and 5.3% (1/19), respectively. The improvement and increase of measures of sanitary management in cattle and rodent control are fundamental to avoid damages to animal production and risks to public health in the Island of Fernando de Noronha.