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Pimentel, J.S.
Soroprevalˆncia da toxoplasmose e leptospirose em mam¡feros selvagens neotropicais do zool¢gico do Parque da Cidade Governador Jos‚ Rollemberg Leite, Aracaju, Sergipe
2009  Full Book

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 "Zool¢gico do Parque da Cidade Governador Jos‚ 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 xynthosternus_), 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 tachyozoites 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 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 of 4 (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_).

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