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- Title
Antibodies Against Toxoplasmosis in Semicaptive Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) in Uruguay.
- Authors
Puentes, Rodrigo; Ungerfeld, Rodolfo
- Abstract
Background: The health status of wild animals is of particular interest in veterinary epidemiology to have certainty on the diseases that affect each species, and which ones may be shared with domestic species and humans. Epidemiological surveillance should be done as frequently as possible to predict the appearance of emerging diseases in susceptible animal populations. The pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) is an artiodactyl mammal belonging to the suborder of ruminants, considered on Appendix 1 of CITES and is designated an endangered species by the IUCN. Small isolated populations have been reported in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. In Uruguay there are two wild populations, and there is a third semi-captive population with approximately 80 individuals at the Estación de Cría de Fauna Autóctona Cerro Pan de Azúcar (ECFA, Maldonado, Uruguay). Until now, there is scarce information reported on infectious and parasitic diseases in this specie. The aim of this work was to determine the presence of antibodies against Leptospirosis (Leptospira interrogans, 21 serovars), Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii), Brucellosis (Brucella abortus), Chlamydiosis (Chlamydophila abortus), Enzootic bovine leukosis, Bovine herpesvirus and Bovine viral diarrhea in the ECFA pampas deer population. Materials, Methods & Results: Standard international serological tests were used to determine the presence of antibodies for each disease in serum obtained in 2009 from 12 males of this population, located in two groups of six animals in different paddocks. They were captured with darts with ketamine, xylazine and atropine, and anesthesia was later reversed with yohimbine. The results showed that all animals were serologically positive for toxoplasmosis using the Sabin & Feldman Test, and negative for all the others diseases. Discussion: Toxoplasmosis positive results indicate that the animals have been previously exposed to this pathogen. The possible explanation of the source of infection of the deer can be consumption of contaminated water or food from wild and domestic free cats that have been commonly observed in the same areas, often in close contact with this deer population. The presence of antibodies against this disease has been reported in other populations of the species. As that report came from another subspecies under wild conditions, our data expand the information to another population, maintained in semicaptivity. Environmental control of toxoplasmosis in zoos should imply careful management of captive felids and susceptible species, feeding, including disinfection of cleaning equipment, and exclusion of stray animals for the protection of collection animals as well as animal staff and visitors. In another hand, there were not antibodies against the others infectious diseases researched (Leptospirosis, Brucellosis, Chlamydiosis, Enzootic Bovine Leukosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea and Bovine Herpesvirus), so we suggest that animals have not been exposed to these diseases, or if they were, exposure was not long enough to make serum antibodies to be undetectable for the techniques used. Finally, although environmental conditions cannot be extrapolated to wild populations, it is now confirmed that pampas deer is a potential reservoir of toxoplasmosis. This is the first report of antibodies against toxoplasmosis in semicaptive pampas deer in Uruguay.
- Subjects
PAMPAS deer; LEPTOSPIROSIS; BRUCELLOSIS; TOXOPLASMOSIS; CHLAMYDIA infections; HERPESVIRUS diseases in animals
- Publication
Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, 2011, Vol 39, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1678-0345
- Publication type
Article