Anti-Leptospira spp. Antibodies in Pigs Slaughtered in the Agreste Region of Pernambuco, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22456/1679-9216.93772Abstract
Background: Swine production and productivity rates can be influenced by several factors, such as genetics, environmental conditions, nutritional factors, previous infections and others. Among infectious diseases, leptospirosis is a well-known cause of reproductive disorders in pigs. These animals are considered carriers of the disease when they are in the terminal stage of the infection and the Veterinary Inspection Service has not been notified when they are slaughtered. Considering the lack of epidemiological information on Leptospira infection in pigs in the state of Pernambuco, the aim of this study was to investigate anti-Leptospira antibodies in pigs slaughtered in the Agreste region of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.
Materials, Methods & Results: Blood samples were collected from 305 pigs in 11 municipalities in the Agreste region of Pernambuco. The animals had no history of vaccination, and were raised on subsistence-oriented family farms. The sera were subjected to the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) for the detection of antibodies. The serovars used in the MAT were: Icterohaemorrhagiae, Copenhageni, Javanica, Canicola, Castellonis, Pyrogenenes, Cynopteri, Autumnalis, Sentot, Djasiman, Australis, Pomona, Grippotyphosa, Hebdomadis, Wolffi, Sejroe, Saxkoebing, Bataviae, Tarassovi, Panama, Patoc, Andamana, Celledoni, Shermani, Brastilava and Hardjo. Sera showing titers of ≥100 were considered positive. The MAT results indicated that 78/305 (25.57%) of the samples were positive, and were distributed in the 11 municipalities. The most frequent serovars were Icterohaemorrhagiae, Copenhageni, and Djasiman, with frequencies of 55.13%, 17.95% and 6.41%, respectively.
Discussion: Swine infected with leptospirosis showed few or no signs of the disease. However, the bacteria can be carried for long periods in convoluted tubules of the kidney and their urinary excretion may last for years. A study of Leptospira spp. risk factors on pig farms in the state of Alagoas revealed an absence of rodent control, suggesting that this was the probable cause of infection by this serovar, Icterohaemorrhagiae. Farms that did not control their rodent populations showed a 7.8-fold higher risk of infection among their swine. This exposure poses a problem, since these animals can contaminate the environment, as well as food and water, making them an important source of infection of other animals. The findings of this study indicate that the pigs were exposed to Leptospira spp. The reason that some atypical serovars were identified in this study may be have been incidental infection, since these animals came from a non-technified system, putting them at greater risk of contact with other animal species. This may also be a reason for the identification of the other serovars in this research. Although the serovar Copenhagen is part of the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup, few studies have described its importance. The main reservoirs of Copenhageni are also synanthropic rodents, which underscores the importance of these animals as possible sources of contamination on farms that supply pigs to the slaughterhouses of the region under study. The data obtained here indicate the need for animal health surveillance programs in the region. Moreover, they may also be a source of infection of the professionals directly involved in handling and slaughtering pigs. This indicates the need to implement surveillance programs in the region, such as high vaccination coverage at pig farms, as well as integrated pest management against rodents.
Downloads
References
Azevedo S.S., Oliveira R.M., Alves C.J., Assis D.M., Aquino S.F., Farias A.E.M., Assis D.M., Lucena T.C.C., Batista C.S.A., Castro V. & Genovez M.E. 2008. Prevalence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in swine slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse of Patos City, Paraíba State, Northeast Region of Brazil. Arquivos do Instituto Biológico. 75(4): 517-520.
Bortoletto C., Ferreira G.F., Gasser B., Nakamura A.M., Almeida H.M.S. & Oliveira L.O. 2014. Principais causas de problemas reprodutivos em porcas. Revista Científica de Medicina Veterinária. XII(23): revista semestral, 22p.
Boqvist S., Ho T.V.T., Vagsholmc I. & Magnusson U. 2002. The impact of Leptospira seropositivity on reproductive performance in sows in southern Vietnam. Theriogenology. 58: 1327-1335.
Chappel R.J., Ellis W.A., Adler B., Amon L., Millar B.D., Zhu S.S. & Prime R.W. 1992. Serological evidence for the presence of Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava in Australian pigs. Australian Veterinary Journal. 69(5): 119-120.
Chappel R.J., Prime R.W., Millar B.D., Jones R.T., Cutler R.S. & Adler B. 1998. Prevalence and geographic origin of pigs with serological evidence of infection with Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona slaughtered in abattoir in Victoria. Veterinary Microbiology. 62(3): 235-242.
Delbem A.C.B., Freire R.L., Silva C.A., Müller E.E., Dias R.A., Neto J.S.F. & Freitas J.C. 2004. Fatores de risco associados à soropositividade para leptospirose em matrizes suínas. Ciência Rural. 34(3): 847-852.
Ellis W.A. 1999. Leptospirosis. In: Straw B.E., D'Allaire S., Mengeling W.L. & Taylor D.J. (Eds). Disease of Swine. 8th edn. Ames: Iowa State University Press, pp.483-493.
Faine S., Adler B., Bolin C. & Perolat P. 1999. Leptospira and leptospirosis. Melbourne: Medical Science, 353p.
Faria J.E., Ribeiro M.F.B., Santos J.L., Patarroyo Salcedo J.H. & Dale R. 1989. Frequência de aglutininas anti-Leptospiras em soros sanguíneos de suínos das microrregiões de Viçosa e Ponte Nova/MG. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. 41(5): 381-388.
Favero A.C.M., Pinheiro S.R., Vasconcellos S A., Morais Z.M., Ferreira F. & Neto J.S.F. 2002. Sorovares de Leptospiras predominantes em exames sorológicos de bubalinos, ovinos, caprinos, equinos, suínos e cães de diversos estados brasileiros. Ciência Rural. 32(4): 613-619.
Figueiredo Í.L., Alves C.J., Silva L.C.A., Oliveira R.M. & Azevedo S.S. 2013. Leptospirose suína: uma importante causa de falhas e perdas reprodutivas. Revista Brasileira de Reprodução Animal. 37(4): 344-353
Gonçalves D.D., Teles P.S., Reis C.R., Lopes F.M. R., Freire R.C., Navarro I.T., Alves L.A., Müller E.E. & Freitas J.C. 2006. Seroepidemiology and occupational and environmental variables for leptospirosis, brucellosis and toxoplasmosis in slaughterhouse workers in Paraná state Brazil. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo. 48: 135-140.
Hashimoto V.Y, Anzai E.K., Lima B.A. C., Silva F.G., Alves L.A., Freire R.L., Teles P.S., Garcia J.L., Müller E.E. & Freitas J.C. 2008. Associação entre as lesões renais microscópicas e a presença de anticorpos contra Leptospira spp. em suínos aparentemente sadios, abatidos em frigorífico da Região Norte do Estado do Paraná. Semina: Ciências Agrárias. 29(4): 875-880.
Heath S.E. & Johnson R. 1994. Leptospirosis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 205(11): 1518-1523.
Larsson C.E., Yasuda P.H., Santa Rosa C.A. & Costa N.O. 1984. Lepstopirose suína: inquérito sorológico e bacteriológico em municípios dos estados de São Paulo, do Paraná e de Santa Catarina. Revista da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo. 21(1): 43-50.
Lima P.C.R. 1996. Diagnóstico de leptospirose em suínos no Rio Grande do Sul: exames laboratoriais em fêmeas suínas descartadas em frigoríficos e em reprodutores de granjas com e sem problemas de reprodução, durante o período de um ano. Arquivos da Faculdade de Veterinária da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. 24(1): 119-121.
Michna S.W. & Campbell R.S.F. 1969. Leptospirosis in pigs: epidemiology, microbiology and pathology. The Veterinary Record. 84(6): 135-138.
Ministério da Saúde. 1995. Manual de Leptospirose. 2.ed. Brasília: Fundação Nacional de Saúde, 98p.
Modolo J.R., Langoni H., Gottschalk A.F., Stachissini A.V.M. & Berto D.A. 2000. Seroprevalence of Leptospira interrogans serovar djasiman in quarantined pigs. Indian Veterinary Journal. 77(2): 155-156.
Oliveira S.J., Bortolanza F., Passos D.T., Simões Pires-Neto J.A., Fallavena L.C.B. & Weimer T.A. 2007. Molecular diagnosis of Leptospira spp. in culled sows. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science. 44(1): 18-23.
Osava C.F., Salaberry S.R.S., Nascimento C.C.N., Lima-Ribeiro A.M.C., Moreira R.Q., Castro J.R. & Rigo V.H. 2010. Ocorrência de anticorpos anti-Leptospira spp. em diferentes sistemas de criação de suínos. Bioscience Journal. 26(2): 202-207.
Pereira J.A. 2009. Soroprevalência da Infecção por Leptospira spp. em matrizes suínas oriundas do Médio Norte do Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. 67f. Cuiabá, MT. Dissertação (Mestrado em Ciências Veterinárias) - Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso.
Ramos A.C.F., Souza B.G.N. & Lilenbaum W. 2006. Influence of leptospirosis on reproductive performance of sows in Brazil. Theriogenology. 66: 1021-1025.
Sampaio I.B.M. 2003. Estatística Aplicada à Experimentação Animal. Belo Horizonte: FEPMVZ, 221p.
Shimabucuro F.H., Dominues P.F. & Langoni H. 2003. Pesquisa de suínos portadores renais de leptospiras pelo isolamento microbiano e reação em cadeia pela polimerase em amostras de rins de animais sorologicamente positivos e negativos para leptospirose. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science. 40(4): 243-253.
Sobestiansky J., Barcellos D., Mores N., Carvalho L.F. & Oliveira S. 1999. Clínica e Patologia Suína. 2.ed. Goiânia: Universidade Federal de Goiás, 464 p.
Thrusfield M.V. 2004. Epidemiologia Veterinária. 2.ed. São Paulo: Roca. 556p.
Valença R.M.B., Mota R.A., Castro V., Anderlini G.A., Pinheiro Júnior J.W., Brandespim D.F., Valença S.R.F.A. & Guerra M.M.P. 2013. Prevalence and risk factors associated with Leptospira spp. infection in technified swine farms in the State of Alagoas, Brazil. Transboundary Emerging Diseases. 60(1): 79-86.
Zar J.H. 1999. Biostatistical Analysis. 4th edn. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall Inc., 663p
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This journal provides open access to all of its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Such access is associated with increased readership and increased citation of an author's work. For more information on this approach, see the Public Knowledge Project and Directory of Open Access Journals.
We define open access journals as journals that use a funding model that does not charge readers or their institutions for access. From the BOAI definition of "open access" we take the right of users to "read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles" as mandatory for a journal to be included in the directory.
La Red y Portal Iberoamericano de Revistas Científicas de Veterinaria de Libre Acceso reúne a las principales publicaciones científicas editadas en España, Portugal, Latino América y otros países del ámbito latino