scholarly journals The Seroepidemiology of a Neglected Zoonotic and Livestock Pathogen in Free-Ranging Bovids: Leptospirosis in African Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer)

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1072
Author(s):  
Wynand Goosen ◽  
Mark Hamish Moseley ◽  
Tanya Jane Kerr ◽  
Andrew Potts ◽  
Michele Miller
Keyword(s):  
Productivity Loss ◽  
Syncerus Caffer ◽  
Exposure Risk ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Leptospira Spp ◽  
Specific Variation ◽  
Livestock Productivity ◽  
Free Ranging

Multi-host pathogens are challenging to control and are responsible for some of the most important diseases of humans, livestock, and wildlife. Leptospira spp. are some of the most common multi-host pathogens and represent an important cause of zoonotic infections and livestock productivity loss in the developing world, where contact with wildlife species is common. Although there is increasing evidence that cattle in Africa harbour a broad diversity of Leptospira genotypes and serovars, little is known about the epidemiology of these pathogens in wild bovids, such as African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer). Using microscopic agglutination testing (MAT) on serum samples collected from free-ranging buffaloes (n = 98) captured in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa, we demonstrated an overall seroprevalence of 21% with seropositivity almost exclusively limited to serovar Tarassovi (serogroup Tarassovi). Moreover, we found no evidence of seropositivity in unweaned calves and showed temporal- or herd-specific variation in exposure risk, and increased probability of seropositivity (OR = 5.44, 95% CI = 1.4–27) in female buffaloes. Together, these findings demonstrate that free-ranging African buffaloes are exposed to Leptospira spp. infections, providing insights into the epidemiology of an emerging Leptospira serovar in herds with an absence of any disease control and minimal management.

scholarly journals Occurrence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. In free-ranging wild canids from the Brazilian savanna

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 734-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaís C.S. Rodrigues ◽  
André L.Q. Santos ◽  
Anna M.C. Lima-Ribeiro ◽  
Frederico G. Lemos ◽  
Fernanda C. Azevedo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brazilian Savanna ◽  
Tropical Savanna ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
Minas Gerais State ◽  
Leptospira Spp ◽  
Cerdocyon Thous ◽  
Wildlife Populations ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Chrysocyon Brachyurus

Abstract: The Brazilian savanna, also known as Cerrado, is one of the world's richest and most ecologically invaluable tropical savanna regions. There are few studies in Brazil about the diseases that affect the wild canids of this biome, which may be harmful to wildlife populations and public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. in three Cerrado wild canids species using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Serum samples were tested from 19 crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), 14 maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), and seven hoary foxes (Lycalopex vetulus), all free-ranging animals found in the municipalities of Araguari and Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, and Cumari, Goiás State, Brazil. Fourteen (35%) of these samples were seropositive. The most frequent serovars detected in the samples were Copenhageni and Hardjo, but reactions to the serovars Autumnalis, Grippotyphosa, Hebdomadis, Wolffi, and Icterohaemorrhagiae also occurred. Notwithstanding other reported results, this study is the first to report the presence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. in L. vetulus. The three species of wild canids examined may act as potential hosts for several serovars of leptospira in Brazil's savanna environment.

scholarly journals Serological Survey of Leptospira Infection in Arabian Horses in Poland

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 688
Author(s):  
Bernard Wasiński ◽  
Katarzyna Paschalis-Trela ◽  
Jan Trela ◽  
Michał Czopowicz ◽  
Jerzy Kita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Companion Animals ◽  
Laboratory Diagnosis ◽  
Serological Survey ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Horse Population ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Clinical Presentations ◽  
Arabian Horse ◽  
Breeding Farms

Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections worldwide, including in most livestock, some companion animals, horses, wildlife, and humans. Epidemiological estimation of its prevalence in all species is difficult due to the variety of clinical presentations and challenges regarding laboratory diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to measure the seroprevalence of leptospiral infection in Arabian horses kept in the largest breeding farms in Poland, representing over 15% of the Polish Arabian horse population. Leptospira antibodies were detected by MAT (cut-off 1:100) in 33.2% of serum samples (204 of 615 animals) (CI 95%: 29.6–37.0%), most frequently reacting with the serovar Grippotyphosa, similar to previous reports in populations of randomly selected horses. These results indicated high Leptospira seropositivity, thus, although any form of clinical leptospirosis is rare, it may be postulated that the leptospiral exposure is widespread.

scholarly journals 57EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWING INTERSPECIES NUCLEAR TRANSFER OF AFRICAN BUFFALO (SYNCERUS CAFFER), BONTEBOK (DAMALISCUS DORCUS DORCUS) AND ELAND (TAUROTRAGUS ORYX) SOMATIC CELLS INTO BOVINE CYTOPLASTS

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Matshikiza ◽  
P. Bartels ◽  
G. Vajta ◽  
F. Olivier ◽  
T. Spies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Nuclear Transfer ◽  
Somatic Cells ◽  
Blastocyst Stage ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
African Buffalo ◽  
Syncerus Caffer ◽  
Cell Stage ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Interspecies Nuclear Transfer

Wildlife conservation requires traditional as well as innovative conservation strategies in order to preserve gene and species diversity. Interspecies nuclear transfer has the potential to conserve genes from critically endangered wildlife species where few or no oocytes are available from the endangered species, and where representative cell lines have been established for the wildlife population while numbers were still abundant. The purpose of this study was to investigate the developmental ability of embryos reconstructed with transfer of somatic cells from the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), bontebok (Damaliscus dorcus dorcus) and eland (Taurotragus oryx) to enucleated domestic cattle (Bos taurus) oocytes. Skin tissue from the three wildlife species were collected by surgically removing approx. 1.0×1.0cm ear skin notches from animals immobilized with a combination of etorphine hydrochloride (M99; South Africa) and azaperone (Stressnil, South Africa). The biopsies were placed into physiological saline and transported to the laboratory at 4°C within 2h, cleaned with chlorohexidine gluconate and sliced finely in Minimal Essential Medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. The resultant tissue explants were treated as previously described (Baumgarten and Harley 1995 Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 110B, 37–46) and actively growing fibroblast cultures made available for the nuclear transfer process. Nuclear transfer was performed using the HMC technique (Vajta et al., 2003 Biol. Reprod. 68, 571–578) using slaughterhouse-derived bovine oocytes. Culture was performed in SOFaaci (Vajta et al., 2003 Biol. Reprod. 68, 571–578) medium supplemented with 5% cattle serum using WOWs (Vajta et al., Mol. Reprod. Dev. 50, 185–191). Two identical replicates were made with somatic cells of each species. After successful reconstruction, 57, 42 and 48 nuclear transferred and activated buffalo, bontebok and eland embryos were cultured, respectively. All except for 2 buffalo embryos cleaved; 22 (39%) developed to or over the 8-cell stage, and 2 (3.5%) of them to the blastocyst stage. All but 3 bontebok embryos cleaved, 17 (40%) developed to or over the 8-cell stage, but none of them reached the compacted morula or blastocyst stage. Sixteen (33%) of the eland embryos developed to or over the 8-cell stage with one (2%) reaching the blastocyst stage. In conclusion, buffalo, bontebok and eland embryos developed from reconstruction using their respective somatic cells combined with bovine cytoplasts, however, in vitro developmental ability to the blastocyst stage was limited. Additional basic research that establishes the regulative mechanisms involved with early preimplantation development together with optimising nuclear transfer techniques may have the potential to one day play a role in the conservation of critically endangered wildlife species.

scholarly journals Coccidian oocyst and nematode egg counts of free-ranging African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa : research communication

2000 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.L. Penzhorn
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
African Buffalo ◽  
Syncerus Caffer ◽  
Research Communication ◽  
Nematode Eggs ◽  
Coccidian Oocyst ◽  
Free Ranging

Faecal specimens collected in the Kruger National Park from 103 African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) up to 1 year old and 283 buffaloes older than 1 year were examined for the presence of coccidian oocysts and nematode eggs. Most specimens from animals older than 1 year had negative coccidian oocyst counts. Positive specimens from younger animals had significantly higher coccidian oocyst counts than those from older animals. No such difference was found for nematode egg counts.

scholarly journals Serosurvey of bluetongue, caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) and Maedi-Visna in Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) of a southern Brazilian zoo

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1203-1206
Author(s):  
Vivien M. Morikawa ◽  
Maysa Pellizzaro ◽  
Igor A.D. Paploski ◽  
Mariana Kikuti ◽  
Maria C.C.S.H. Lara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Agar Gel ◽  
Ammotragus Lervia ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Barbary Sheep ◽  
Visna Virus ◽  
Compulsory Notification

ABSTRACT: Bluetongue (BT) is an infectious and non-contagious disease of compulsory notification which may affect domestic and wild ruminants, transmitted by Culicoides spp. midges. Despite the high morbidity and mortality in sheep, role of wild animals in the BT cycle remains unclear. Caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) and Maedi-Visna virus (MVV) have been reportedly found in goats and sheep, but not described in wildlife species. Accordingly, serum samples from 17 captive Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) from Curitiba zoo, southern Brazil, were tested for bluetongue, caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) and Maedi-Visna viruses by agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies for bluetongue were observed in 6/17 (35.3%) Barbary sheep by AGID test and in 7/17 (41.2%) by ELISA. All samples were negative for the presence of antibodies against caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) and Maedi-Visna viruses. These findings indicate that Barbary sheep may be infected by bluetongue virus and act as wildlife reservoir in both captive and free-range environments.

The Decline of the Sharp-Snouted Day Frog (Taudactylus acutirostris): The First Documented Case of Extinction by Infection in a Free-Ranging Wildlife Species?

EcoHealth ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Schloegel ◽  
Jean-Marc Hero ◽  
Lee Berger ◽  
Rick Speare ◽  
Keith McDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Documented Case ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Free Ranging

scholarly journals Rapid Detection of Serum Antibody by Dual-Path Platform VetTB Assay in White-Tailed Deer Infected with Mycobacterium bovis

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 907-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin P. Lyashchenko ◽  
Rena Greenwald ◽  
Javan Esfandiari ◽  
Daniel J. O'Brien ◽  
Stephen M. Schmitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Skin Testing ◽  
Serum Antibody ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Antibody Detection ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Free Ranging

ABSTRACTBovine tuberculosis (TB) in cervids remains a significant problem affecting farmed herds and wild populations. Traditional skin testing has serious limitations in certain species, whereas emerging serological assays showed promising diagnostic performance. The recently developed immunochromatographic dual-path platform (DPP) VetTB assay has two antigen bands, T1 (MPB83 protein) and T2 (CFP10/ESAT-6 fusion protein), for antibody detection. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of this test by using serum samples collected from groups of white-tailed deer experimentally inoculated withMycobacterium bovis,M. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis, orM. bovisBCG Pasteur. In addition, we used serum samples from farmed white-tailed deer in herds with no history of TB, as well as from free-ranging white-tailed deer culled during field surveillance studies performed in Michigan known to have bovine TB in the wild deer population. The DPP VetTB assay detected antibody responses in 58.1% of experimentally infected animals within 8 to 16 weeks postinoculation and in 71.9% of naturally infected deer, resulting in an estimated test sensitivity of 65.1% and a specificity of 97.8%. The higher seroreactivity found in deer with naturally acquiredM. bovisinfection was associated with an increased frequency of antibody responses to the ESAT-6 and CFP10 proteins, resulting in a greater contribution of these antigens, in addition to MPB83, to the detection of seropositive animals, compared with experimentalM. bovisinfection. Deer experimentally inoculated with eitherM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisorM. bovisBCG Pasteur did not produce cross-reactive antibodies that could be detected by the DPP VetTB assay. The present findings demonstrate the relatively high diagnostic accuracy of the DPP VetTB test for white-tailed deer, especially in the detection of naturally infected animals.

scholarly journals Epidemiological characterization and risk factors associated with leptospirosis and brucellosis in small ruminants sold at animal fair in the Sertão Region of Pernambuco State, a semiarid Region of Northeastern Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 1933 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Romero Alexandre Alves ◽  
Geilson Manoel de Souza Lima ◽  
José Dêvede da Silva ◽  
Diego Figueiredo da Costa ◽  
Fabrine Alexandre dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Management System ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Intensive Management ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Leptospira Spp

The transit of infected animals may be a route for the introduction and dispersal of diseases, which necessitates protocols for the controlled entry of infected animals into herds. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-Leptospira and anti-Brucella ovis antibodies in small ruminants sold at an animal fair in the Sertão region of the Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil, and to identify the possible risk factors associated with seropositivity. Serum samples were collected from 233 goats and 119 sheep, belonging to twelve different owners from November 2014 to June 2015. Diagnosis of Leptospira spp. infection was established using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT); for B. ovis infection, the agar gel immuno-diffusion (AGID) test was conducted. A total of 16/233 (6.87%; 95% CI = 4.27% – 10.83%) goats and 16/119 (13.45%; 95% CI = 8.67% – 21.24%) sheep were identified as seropositive for Leptospira spp. The most frequent serotype was Icterohaemorrhagiae. In goats, intensive management system (odds ratio = 15.8; p < 0.001) and consorted rearing of equines and goats (odds ratio = 7.3; p = 0.005) were identified as risk factors. There were no risk factors identified for sheep. Seven (5.88%; 95% CI = 2.88% – 11.65%) sheep were seropositive for B. ovis, and the intensive management system was identified as the risk factor (odds ratio = 11.5; p = 0.005). This suggests that Leptospira spp. and B. ovis infections occur in small ruminants commercialized in the Sertão region of the Pernambuco State. Thus, improvements to the sanitary conditions of the facilities and the control of synanthropic rodents are recommended.

scholarly journals Host and Environmental Factors Modulate the Exposure of Free-Ranging and Farmed Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) to Coxiella burnetii

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (18) ◽  
pp. 6223-6231 ◽  
Author(s):  
David González-Barrio ◽  
Ana Luisa Velasco Ávila ◽  
Mariana Boadella ◽  
Beatriz Beltrán-Beck ◽  
José Ángel Barasona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coxiella Burnetii ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Iberian Red Deer ◽  
Free Ranging

ABSTRACTThe control of multihost pathogens, such asCoxiella burnetii, should rely on accurate information about the roles played by the main hosts. We aimed to determine the involvement of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the ecology ofC. burnetii. We predicted that red deer populations from broad geographic areas within a European context would be exposed toC. burnetii, and therefore, we hypothesized that a series of factors would modulate the exposure of red deer toC. burnetii. To test this hypothesis, we designed a retrospective survey of 47 Iberian red deer populations from which 1,751 serum samples and 489 spleen samples were collected. Sera were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in order to estimate exposure toC. burnetii, and spleen samples were analyzed by PCR in order to estimate the prevalence of systemic infections. Thereafter, we gathered 23 variables—within environmental, host, and management factors—potentially modulating the risk of exposure of deer toC. burnetii, and we performed multivariate statistical analyses to identify the main risk factors. Twenty-three populations were seropositive (48.9%), andC. burnetiiDNA in the spleen was detected in 50% of the populations analyzed. The statistical analyses reflect the complexity ofC. burnetiiecology and suggest that although red deer may maintain the circulation ofC. burnetiiwithout third species, the most frequent scenario probably includes other wild and domestic host species. These findings, taken together with previous evidence ofC. burnetiishedding by naturally infected red deer, point at this wild ungulate as a true reservoir forC. burnetiiand an important node in the life cycle ofC. burnetii, at least in the Iberian Peninsula.

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