Small Mammals as Carriers/Hosts of Leptospira spp. in the Western Amazon Forest.

Leptospira is a bacteria that causes leptospirosis and is transmitted through water, soil, or mud that is contaminated by the urine of infected animals. Although it is mainly associated with the urban environment, Leptospires also circulate in rural and wild environments. This study aimed to investigate the role of small mammals in leptospirosis epidemiology in the western Amazon, Brazil. In total, 103 animals from 23 species belonging to the orders Didelphimorphia and Rodentia were captured. Blood, kidney, and urine samples were collected and Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), lipL32 PCR, secY sequencing, and culturing were conducted. MAT was reactive on 1/15 sera, and no bacterial isolate was obtained. PCR yielded 44.7% positive samples from 16 species. Twenty samples were genetically characterized and identified as L. interrogans (n = 12), L. noguchii (n = 4), and L. santarosai (n = 4). No statistical association was found between the prevalence of infection by Leptospira spp. in small mammals within carrier/hosts species, orders, study area, and forest strata. Our results indicate a high prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in several rodent and marsupial species and report the first evidence of Leptospira spp. carrier/hosts in the Brazilian Western Amazon.

Natural Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi (Steel, 1885) infection among mammals from Brazilian Amazon.

Trypanosoma evansi (Kinetoplastea Trypanosomatidae) is the Trypanosoma species that infects the greatest variety of mammals worldwide. In 2014, a dog from Rio Branco/AC, in the Brazilian Amazon region, presented flagellates without evident kinetoplasts in blood and symptoms of T. evansi infection. Our aim was to investigate the occurrence of T. evansi in dogs, bats and capybaras from Rio Branco. Blood was collected from 78 dogs from residential areas near the Zoobotanical Park (PZ). The serological diagnosis by IFAT detected the presence of anti-T. evansi antibodies in 21.9% of the evaluated dogs. T. evansi DNA was detected in one dog using a higly specific target of a repeated monomer of the satellite DNA of Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) sp. Molecular diagnosis was also performed on 182 bat spleen samples collected inside PZ, and one Carollia perspicillata was positive. The DNA sequences obtained from these two samples showed similarities with T. brucei satellite DNA. Anti-T. evansi IFAT was carried out in 46 capybaras from rural and urban areas and the infection detected in 17.4% of them. We confirmed for the first time the presence of T. evansi in Acre State and describe three putative host species involved in the parasite transmission in that Amazon region. Moreover, this is the first study that confirms the infection by T. evansi through DNA sequence analysis in the Brazilian Amazon Region.

Perfil epidemiológico das agressões caninas notificadas no Município de Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, durante o período de 2007 a 2015 / Epidemiological profile of canine aggression reported in the City of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, from 2007 to 2015

A interação entre homens e animais tem consequências para a saúde pública, como o aumento dos casos de raiva, uma zoonose letal. Neste estudo, foram analisadas 1047 fichas do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN). Os dados foram representativos do tratamento preventivo anti-raiva humano no município de Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, de 2007 a 2015. O maior número de casos foi registrado em 2013 (17,95%) e a maior incidência de ataques ocorreu nas regiões urbanas (86,1%). As feridas resultantes de mordida de cão corresponderam a 98,66% dos ataques. Os animais foram classificados como suspeitos da raiva em 65,42% dos casos, no entanto, apenas 1% foram clinicamente diagnosticados como positivos. Apenas 4% das vítimas humanas foram submetidas a exame para pós-exposição de titulação. Os resultados indicam que os programas de Saúde Pública devem considerar como prioritários os ataques de cães na área urbana na cidade de Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre.

The interaction between men and animals results in consequences for public health, such as the increase of rabies cases, a lethal zoonosis. In this study, a total of 1047 file cards from the Brazilian Notification Aggravation Information System (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação - SINAN) were analyzed. The analyzed data was representative of human anti-rabies preventive treatment in the city of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, from 2007 to 2015. Most cases were registered in 2013 (17.95%). The highest incidence of attacks occurred in urban regions (86.1%). Wounds from dog bites corresponded to 98.66% of the attacks. The animals were classified as suspected rabies in 65.42% of cases. However, only 1% were clinically diagnosed as positive. Only 4% of the human victims were subjected to examination for post-exposure titration. The results indicate that Public Health programs should consider dog bite attacks in the urban area as a priority in in the city of Cruzeiro do Sul.

Potential application of new diagnostic methods for controlling bovine Tuberculosis in Brazil

Bovine tuberculosis, a chronic infection in cattle caused by Mycobacterium bovis, remains an economic and public health problem for several countries. Due to its economic impact on international trade, contagious nature, and implications for human health, global programs to eradicate the disease were implemented worldwide. Those programs are based on slaughtering PPD-reactive animals. Despite the National Programs in Brazil, complete eradication has not been achieved, and the disease remains, albeit at a lower prevalence. The central purpose of this review is to address diagnostic tests for tuberculosis. Considering the course of the infection in cattle, at least two tests, ideally complementary to one another, may be necessary for an adequate diagnosis: the first based on the cellular response, and the second capable of identifying anergic animals by detection of specific anti-M.bovis antibodies.

Potential application of new diagnostic methods for controlling bovine tuberculosis in Brazil.

Bovine tuberculosis, a chronic infection in cattle caused by Mycobacterium bovis, remains an economic and public health problem for several countries. Due to its economic impact on international trade, contagious nature, and implications for human health, global programs to eradicate the disease were implemented worldwide. Those programs are based on slaughtering PPD-reactive animals. Despite the National Programs in Brazil, complete eradication has not been achieved, and the disease remains, albeit at a lower prevalence. The central purpose of this review is to address diagnostic tests for tuberculosis. Considering the course of the infection in cattle, at least two tests, ideally complementary to one another, may be necessary for an adequate diagnosis: the first based on the cellular response, and the second capable of identifying anergic animals by detection of specific anti-M.bovis antibodies.