title: The role of capybaras as carriers of leptospires in periurban and rural areas in the western Amazon.
abstract: Although leptospirosis has been described in capybaras, usually based on serological evidences, bacterial culture of leptospires has been scarcely reported in this species. The western Amazon is a reportedly endemic area where high seroprevalences have been reported in different species of wildlife, domestic animals and in human beings. The present study aimed at investigating the role of capybaras as carriers of leptospires in periurban and rural areas in the western Amazon region. A total of 44 animals were captured, and 41 blood samples (for serology) and 41 urine samples (for PCR and bacterial culture) were obtained. A total of 18/41 (43.9%) of sera were reactive and titers were generally low, indicating chronic infection. PCR was positive in 13/41 (31.7%) samples, isolates were recovered from urine samples belonging to Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa and Shermani serogroups. A high number of carriers (confirmed by PCR) associated to a tendency for harboring Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup strains could be noticed. Our results suggest that capybaras are massively infected by leptospires. Analogously to Norway rats, capybaras present chronic infection with low titers and long-term bacterial shedding, and may be acting as reservoirs of this bacterium.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Acre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Narianne Ferreira
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: de Albuquerque
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Acre, Brazil; Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil. Electronic address: mipwalt@vm.uff.br.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lilenbaum
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Acre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vânia Maria França
authors.initials: VMF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012377:Rodentia / Q000382:microbiology*; D012424:Rural Population; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
keywords: Carrier; Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris; Isolation; Leptospira; Rodents; Wildlife