title: Exposure of free-living jaguars to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis neurona in the Brazilian Pantanal.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis neurona are related apicomplexan parasites that cause reproductive and neurological disorders in a wide range of domestic and wild animals. In the present study, the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) was used to investigate the presence of antibodies against T. gondii, N. caninum and S. neurona in the sera of 11 free-living jaguars (Panthera onca) in two protected areas in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Ten jaguars (90.9%) showed seropositivity for T. gondii, eight (72.7%) for S. neurona, and seven (63.6%) for N. caninum antigens. Our findings reveal exposure of jaguars to these related coccidian parasites and circulation of these pathogens in this wild ecosystem. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first serological detection of N. caninum and S. neurona in free-living jaguars.
authors.affiliation: Estação Ecológica de Taiamã, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Cáceres, MT, Brasil.
authors.forename: Selma Samiko Miyazaki
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Onuma
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Virologia e Rickettsioses, Hospital Veterinário, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andréia Lima Tomé
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Estação Ecológica de Taiamã, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Cáceres, MT, Brasil.
authors.forename: Daniel Luis Zanella
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kantek
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros - CENAP, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Atibaia, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Peter Gransden
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Crawshaw-Junior
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros - CENAP, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Atibaia, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ronaldo Gonçalves
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Morato
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Joares Adenílson
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: May-Júnior
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Virologia e Rickettsioses, Hospital Veterinário, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
authors.forename: Thábata dos Anjos
authors.initials: Tdos A
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Virologia e Rickettsioses, Hospital Veterinário, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
authors.forename: Daniel Moura de
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Aguiar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D046009:Panthera / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan