IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Jorge, R.S.P. | |
| Caracteriza‡Æo do estado sanit rio dos carn¡voros selvagens da RPPN SESC Pantanal e de animais dom‚sticos da regiÆo | |
| 2008 Full Book | |
In the last decades, researchers have been giving growing importance to the occurrence of pathogens for the conservation of wild animals. Epizootics in wild carnivores in Africa and North America have led to declines in the affected populations. On the other hand, wild animals may act as reservoirs to pathogens that affect humans and domestic animals. The purpose of this study was to assess the exposure of wild carnivores and domestic animals from the Northern Pantanal region to pathogens that are important for the conservation of wild carnivores and for men. From 2002 to 2006, 76 wild carnivores (43 crab eating foxes, _Cerdocyon thous_, 13 raccoons, _Procyon cancrivorous_, 8 maned wolves, _Chrysocyon brachyurus_, 4 ocelots, _Leopardus pardalis_, 7 pumas, _Puma concolor_, and 1 bush dog, _Speothos venaticus_) were captured and blood samples were collected. Additionally, 103 domestic dogs and 27 horses from the same area were also sampled. Serological tests were performed for wild carnivores and domestic dogs for CDV (SN), CPV (HI), rabies virus (SFIMT) and _Leptospira_ spp. (MAT), along with PCR for _Leishmania_ spp. MAT was also performed for horses. Among wild carnivores, 21 of 75 tested animals had titers >= 8 for CDV antibodies, 70 of 76 had titers >= 80 for CPV antibodies, 4 of 76 had titers >= 10 UI/ml for rabies virus antibodies, 32 of 75 had >= 100 for _Leptospira_ spp. antibodies, and 7 of 21 were positive for _Leishmania_ spp. Among domestic dogs, 65 of 79 animals tested positive for serology for CDV, 98 of 102 for CPV, 27 of 102 for rabies virus and 18 of 103 for _Leptospira_ spp. For _Leishmania_ spp., 20 of 70 were positive. Positive samples for _Leishmania_ spp. were identified as belonging to the sub-genus _Viannia_. Two of these were identified to the species level as _Leishmania (V.) braziliensis_. Twenty of 27 horses were serologically positive for _Leptospira_ spp. These results indicate that wild carnivores and domestic dogs were exposed to all five tested pathogens, showing their presence in the region. This indicates that wild carnivores in the region may be threatened by pathogens that commonly circulate among domestic dog populations. It also demonstrates that zoonotic agents circulate among the wild carnivore population in the region. However, neither a greater mortality of wild carnivores due to infectious diseases nor their role as reservoirs of zoonosis have been clearly demonstrated. Nevertheless, the need to act to prevent the transmission of pathogens to wild carnivores, through vaccination of domestic dogs and population control, is evident. The implementation of a surveillance system for rabies, leishmaniasis and leptospirosis, together with a health education program in the human community, would also be very important. |
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